CALYCIFLORA IOI 
whilst whereas the flowers appear in Sloe before the 
leaves, in the Bullace the flowers appear later. 
The branches are rigid, black ; the leaves are ovate, 
elliptic with down on the under-surface, and are 
petiolate, and convolute at first. 
The white flowers are large, shortly stalked, 
solitary, the petals obovate. The free calyx is deci- 
duous. The globose glaucous fruit, which is acid, is 
a drupe. 
Blackthorn reaches the height of 15 ft., flowering 
in March and April. 
The style is longer than the stamens, which are 
closed before the stigma is mature, and bends down 
towards the centre. Insects thus touch the stigma 
first. Later the petals become horizontal and the 
stamens become erect and incline outwards, dehiscing 
outwards. The flowers are turned to the sun. There 
is honey in the flowers. As pollen may fall on the 
stigma the plant may be self-pollinated. Bees, etc., 
flies, beetles, and the peacock butterfly are frequent 
visitors, the flowers being very conspicuous at a time 
when there are few in bloom. 
The edible fruit is dispersed by the agency of birds. 
Blackberry, Buckthorn, Bullens, Bullister, Cat 
Sloes, Egg Peg, Hedge Peaks, Quick Scrog, Skig, 
Skaathorn, Slea, Sloe, Slacen bush, Sloo bush, Snag 
- bush, Winter Picks are but:a few of the local names 
for Blackthorn. 
In Surrey they say it is ‘always cold when the 
Blackthorn comes in flower.” When the Sloe tree 
6c 
