Prinsepia is a genus of trees in the Rosaceae

Rosaceae

Rosaceae are a medium-sized family of flowering plants, including about 2830 species in 95 genera. The name is derived from the type genus Rosa. Among the largest genera are Alchemilla , Sorbus , Crataegus , Cotoneaster , and Rubus...

. It bears fruit which looks like a cherry

Cherry

The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....

. The plant grows largely in India, China, Bangladesh, and Taiwan, yet P. sinensis is hardy in zone

Hardiness zone

A hardiness zone is a geographically defined area in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing, as defined by climatic conditions, including its ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone...

 4, to about -32*C..

The plant is named for James Prinsep

James Prinsep

James Prinsep was an Anglo-Indian scholar and antiquary. He was the seventh son of John Prinsep, a wealthy East India merchant and Member of Parliament....

, scholar, antiquarian, architect, secretary of the Asiatic Society in Calcutta, India, and member of the well-known Prinsep family of India, an Anglo-Indian family prominent in Indian affairs for several generations.