The almond tree (Amygdalus communis L. = Prunus amygdalus Batsch; Prunus dulcis Miller) is a plant native to central-western Asia and, marginally, to China. It was introduced in Sicily by the Phoenicians, coming from Greece, so much so that the Romans called it "Greek nut". Later it also spread to France and Spain and to all the Mediterranean countries. It arrived in America in the 16th century. It belongs to the Rosaceae family, Prunoideae subfamily. Three subspecies of fruiting interest belong to the Amygdalus communis species: sativa (with sweet seed and hard endocarp; it includes most of the cultivated species), amara (it has bitter seed due to the presence of amygdalin) and fragilis (with sweet seed and fragile endocarp) . Medium-developed plant, 8-10 m tall, very long-lived. The root system is very expanded. The branches, greyish or brown in colour, bear wood and flower buds; the gems can be isolated or in groups of 2-3 and combined in different ways. The leaves are lanceolate, serrated, narrower and paler than those of the peach tree, bearing glands at the base of the leaf and long pedunculate.