a 
ROSACEA. 115 
A small bushy shrub with twisted branches, most of the old 
ones terminating in spines, the younger ones usually pubescent. 
Leaves elliptical or elliptical-oblanceolate, at length glabrous 
beneath. Peduncles mostly solitary, glabrous. J lowers usually 
expanding before the leaves begin to appear. Petals obovate. 
Fruit small, sub-globular, erect. 
Var. a, genuina. 
Flowers expanding before the leaves appear. 
Var. 2, coétanea. 
Flowers appearing with the leaves. 
In thickets, woods, and on commons; common, and generally 
distributed, but not reaching Orkney. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Shrub. Spring. 
A rigid bush, commonly from 3 to 4 feet high, but sometimes 
8 or 10, with irregular divaricate branches, most of them termi- 
nating in spines; bark smooth, dark-grey, or nearly black. 
Suckers numerous. Leaves shortly-stalked, 1 to 2 inches long, 
rather finely serrated. Flowers usually produced before the leaves, 
from buds situated on the short lateral branches or spurs. 
Peduncles rather long, mostly solitary, but sometimes in pairs 
from each bud, 4 to 3 inch in diameter, white. Calyx-segments 
broadly triangular, obtuse, often slightly serrated on the margins. 
Petals obovate, much longer than the calyx-segments. Filaments 
long, white; anthers reddish. Drupe usually a little longer than 
broad, about 4 inch in diameter, bluish-black, with a glaucous 
bloom ; pulp very austere, adhering to the stone, which is roundish, 
slightly compressed, with a marginal furrow and a rugose surface. 
Young leaves slightly downy below, at length glabrous, dark-green 
with the veins depressed above. 
Blackthorn Stoe. 
French, Prunier Epineux. German, Schlehen Pflaume. 
The appearance of this tree is almost too well known to need description ; and as 
we write in the budding spring-time, we see the pretty white blossoms of this early- 
flowering tree decking its black thorny polished boughs, as yet leafless, but destined to 
be covered with green in a few weeks more. Perhaps we ought not to speak of the 
Blackthorn as a tree, for only under very favourable circumstances does it attain such 
dimensions: usually it is only a bush or shrub. Louden tells us that in Eastwell Park, 
in Kent, he has seen it growing thirty feet in height. In August the frnit, known as 
the Sloe, is ripe ; it is covered with a bluish bloom, and looks as it hangs on the trees 
very tempting ; but its taste is peculiarly harsh and acid, and it is ouly appetites Pome 
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