THE FLORA 115 



whisky. The wooden trowel for digging up the roots was 

 called "pleadhag." A plant with stringy roots, occasionally 

 dug up by mistake, was known as Corra-Meille Capuill. 

 Per., July. 



ROSACES (the Rose family). 



The order includes the best of our hardy fruits Apple 

 <Ubhal), Pear (Peur), Plum (Plumbas), Peach (Pietseog, I.), 

 Cherry (Sirist), Strawberry, and Raspberry. Other species 

 Spiraeas, Roses, etc. are characterised by the beauty and 

 the fragrance of their blossom. The seeds of the drupaceous 

 fruits Plum yield the highly poisonous prussic acid. 



Prunus, L. 



The only British genus Avith a stone fruit, including the 

 Bullace (Bulastair, C.), Damson (Daimsin, C.), Gean (Geanais, 

 C.), Wild Cherry (Craobh Shirist), and Bird Cherry (Craobh 

 Fhiodag, C.). P. persica, a supposed native of Persia or 

 China, is the parent of the many delicious varieties of Peach 

 and Nectarine (Neochdair, C.) now to be obtained. Other 

 fruit belonging to this genus are the Apricot (Pruine 

 Airmeineach, I.), from Central Asia; Prunes (Plumbais 

 Seargtha, I.), the fruit of a species of plum dried in heated 

 ovens, largely in France; Sweet Almonds (Cno-Almoin), 

 the kernels of the fruit, from North Africa and South 

 Europe. Almond oil is expressed from Bitter Almonds. 

 The Common Laurel (P. lauro-cerasus) and the Portugal 

 Laurel (P. lusitanicus) are among our most useful ever- 

 greens. 



P. spinosa, L. Blackthorn ; Sloe. Sgitheach Dubh ; 

 Draighionn-Dubh. Near sandy shores it forms low, almost 

 unimpenetrable thickets. Sloes (Airneag) are now rarely 

 produced. April. In Ireland, one of the favourite woods 

 for the " shillelah." 



