Almond
Known locations:
Benden Hold[1]
Growth form:
Tree
Uses:
Outside Info:
Has dark bark, and rose to white flowers in early spring. The fixed oil from the kernel is used in cosmetics and as a base for some medicines.
Additional Info[2]
The seeds of Prunus dulcis var. Dulcis are predominantly sweet but some individual trees produce seeds that are somewhat more bitter. The genetic basis for bitterness involves a single gene, the bitter flavor furthermore being recessive, both aspects making this trait easier to domesticate. The fruits from Prunus dulcis var. amara are always bitter, as are the kernels from other species of genus Prunus, such as Peach and Cherry (although to a lesser extent).
The bitter almond is slightly broader and shorter than the sweet almond and contains about 50% of the fixed oil that occurs in sweet almonds. It also contains the enzyme emulsin which, in the presence of water, acts on the two soluble glucosides amygdalin and prunasin[33] yielding glucose, cyanide and the essential oil of bitter almonds, which is nearly pure benzaldehyde, the chemical causing the bitter flavor. Bitter almonds may yield 4–9 mg of hydrogen cyanide per almond[34] and contain 42 times higher amounts of cyanide than the trace levels found in sweet almonds.[35] The origin of cyanide content in bitter almonds is via the enzymatic hydrolysis of amygdalin.[35]
Extract of bitter almond was once used medicinally but even in small doses, effects are severe or lethal, especially in children; the cyanide must be removed before consumption.[35] The acute oral lethal dose of cyanide for adult humans is reported to be 0.5–3.5 mg/kg (0.2–1.6 mg/lb) of body weight (approximately 50 bitter almonds), whereas for children, consuming 5–10 bitter almonds may be fatal. (Source Wikipedia)
