Pomegranate

For other uses, see Pomegranate (disambiguation).

Pomegranate
Fruit of Punica granatum split open to reveal clusters of seeds with sarcotesta on the inside, and a glass of juice
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Lythraceae
Genus: Punica
Species:
P. granatum
Binomial name
Punica granatum
Synonyms[3]

The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punicoideae, that grows between 5 and 10 m (16 and 33 ft) tall. The pomegranate is rich in symbolic and mythological associations in many cultures. The pomegranate is thought to have originated from Afghanistan and Iran before being introduced and exported to other parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe.[4][5][6]

It was introduced into Spanish America in the late 16th century and into California by Spanish settlers in 1769.[7] It is widely cultivated throughout West Asia and Caucasus region, South Asia, Central Asia, north and tropical Africa, the drier parts of Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean Basin.[7] The fruit is typically in season in the Southern Hemisphere from March to May, and in the Northern Hemisphere from September to February.[8][9]

Pomegranate and juice are variously used in baking, cooking, juice blends, garnishes, non-alcoholic drinks, and cocktails.

  1. ^ Participants of the FFI/IUCN SSC Central Asian regional tree Red Listing workshop, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (11-13 July 2006) (2020). "Punica granatum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T63531A173543609. Retrieved 16 November 2020.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Punica granatum L., The Plant List, Version 1". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden. 2010. Archived from the original on 11 August 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  3. ^ "Punica granatum L." World Flora Online. The World Flora Online Consortium. 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  4. ^ Langley, Patricia (4 November 2000). "Why a pomegranate?". BMJ: British Medical Journal. 321 (7269): 1153–1154. doi:10.1136/bmj.321.7269.1153. ISSN 0959-8138. PMC 1118911. PMID 11061746.
  5. ^ "5 things you didn't know about pomegranates | Kew". www.kew.org. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  6. ^ Sass, Lorna J. (31 October 1979). "Pomegranates: Rich In History and Taste". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  7. ^ a b Morton, J. F. (1987). "Pomegranate, Punica granatum L". Fruits of Warm Climates. Purdue New Crops Profile. pp. 352–5. Archived from the original on 21 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  8. ^ Nirmal K. Sinha; Jiwan Sidhu; Jozsef Barta; James Wu; M.Pilar Cano, eds. (20 June 2012). Handbook of Fruits and Fruit Processing (2 ed.). John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-35263-2. OCLC 1100459240.
  9. ^ Maria Kosseva; V.K. Joshi; P.S. Panesar, eds. (1 November 2016). Science and Technology of Fruit Wine Production. Academic Press. pp. 24–. ISBN 978-0-12-801034-1. OCLC 1020127413.