Hybrid fruits (Prunus sp.). These are pluots (centre), plumcots (right) and apriums (left). Pluots are patented hybrids of plum and apricot, plumcots are the first stage of cross-breeding an apricot with a plum and apriums are patented hybrids of apricot and plum. They were developed by the Zaiger's Genetics company in Modesto, California, USA. Zaiger's Genetics was founded by biologist Floyd Zaiger in 1958 and is a company that specialises in fruit genetics. Zaiger has spent his life developing 'the perfect fruit'. Photographed in 1988.