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Jason圖片字典：apricot : 杏，杏子，黃色桃子，很像桃子的水果，沒有毛的桃子

Apricot

Also known botanically as Prunus armeniaca,or "Armenian plum", this well-known fruit is native to the Asian regions of Himalaya, China, Armenia and is currently grown in several regions with climates ranging from sub-tropical to temperate and mediterranean.

A sliced apricot showing the "stone"

Apricot trees are very prolific: they can reach 12-15 feet in height and yield fruit for up to 20-25 years.

These trees grow with ovate leaves, about 5-10 cm in diameter and length, with a pointy tip.

Flowers have light pink petals, and only reach a size of about 3-4 cm. Apricot trees produce a fruit similar to peaches, with a yellow, pale color that becomes deep orange when ripe, and it often becomes red on the region most exposed to sunlight. Apricots also contain a single seed, surrounded by a hard, woody shell called "stone".

The inner seed can be eaten and has a taste very similar to almonds, but it contains small quantities of cyanide and should therefore be consumed with caution: it can lead to cyanide poisoning.

Nowadays, apricots are cultivated in several countries with different climates, with the most important being Turkey, Iran, Italy, Pakistan and Greece, but several other countries contribute heavily to apricot production.

In the USA, most apricots are produced in California (about 95% of total output), while in Australia apricots are confined to the southern regions.