BLACKTHORN 



59 



Syrphidse, Muscidae, Bibionidse), Coleoptera (Nitidulidae), Lepidoptera 

 ( Vanessa]. 



The fruit is edible, and the seed is dispersed by animals. 



The Sloe is at home on sand soil, and is a sand plant, but is also 

 a lime plant, loving limestone, and a humus-loving plant requiring 

 humus soil. A fungus, Pnccinia pruni, causes early fall of the 

 leaf. 



Eriophyes similis is a gall that attacks it. Many larger fungi grow 

 on it: Sterenm, Podospliara, Eutypella, Poly stigma, Plowrightia, Poly- 

 porus, Hypocmis, Entomospo- 

 riinu, Corynuni, Cladosporium. 

 It is also galled by Cecidomyia 

 pntni and Biorhiza terminate ; 

 and the beetles Otiorhynchus 

 picipes, Monochetus sulcatus, 

 Magdalinus pruni, Rhynchites 

 auratus, the Hymenopterous 

 insects Andrena bucephala, 

 Eriocajnpa aduinbrata, Lepi- 

 doptera Black Hairstreak 

 ( Thecla pruni}, Scarlet Tiger 

 (Callimorpha dominula\ Yel- 

 low Tail Moth (^Liparis auri- 

 flua], Grey Dagger (Acrony- 

 ata psi), White -letter Hair- 

 streak ( Thecla W. alburn ), 

 Brown Hairstreak (T. betultz], 

 Short-cloaked Moth (Nola 

 C2i.cn I la fella], &c., and the 

 Homopterous Capsus capil- 

 laris, the Homoptera Psylla pruni, Trichopsylla Walkeri feed on it. 



Primus, Pliny, is Latin for plum-tree, and the second Latin name 

 refers to the spinose character. 



The names it goes by are: Blackberry, Blackthorn, Blackthorn- 

 May, Buckthorn, Bullens, Bullies, Bullins, Bullister, Cat's-sloes, Egg- 

 peg Bushes, Hedge Picks, Hedge Speaks, Heg Peg Bushes, Hep, 

 Winter Kecksies, May Blackthorn, Quick Scrog, Skig Slaathorn, 

 Slacen-bush, Slan, Slaunbush, Slea, Sloey, Slon, Slone Bloom, Sloo- 

 bush, Slines, Snag, Snagbush, Winter Picks. 



Quick or Quicks are young black or white thorn for planting in 

 a hedge. The name Sloe for the fruit is extended to the plant itself, 



BLACKTHORN (Prunus spinosa, L.) 



