CLXTI. 

 PUUNUS SPINOSA. 



Sloe, or Blackthorn. 



Class XII. Icosandria. — Order I. Monogynia. 



Nat. Ord. Rosacea. 



Gen. Char. Calyx five-cleft. Petals five. Drupe with 

 a hard smooth nut. 



Spec. Char. Branches spinose. Peduncles solitary. 

 Leaves elliptic-lanceolate or ovate, somewhat downy 

 beneath. 



SYNONYMES. 



( Prunus sylvestris. Bauh. Pin. 444. Ger. Em. 1497- Ran 

 Syn. 462. Park. Theatr. 1033. Dod. Pempt. 741. Fuchs. 

 Latin < Hist. 396. c. 154. 



j Prunus spinosa. Lin. Sp. PI. 681. Eng. Fl. ii. p. 357- 



L Eng. Bot. t. 842. 

 French .... Prunier sauvage ; Prunier epineux ; Prunellier. 

 Italian .... Prugnolo. 

 Spanish. . . . Endrino ; Ciruelo silvestre. 

 German... . Schlehdorn ; Schlehendorn. 



Dutch Sleedoorn ; Sleepruim. 



Danish.... Slaetorn ; Kreygeboertorn. 

 Swedish . . . Sloan ; Starkbar. 



Description. — The root is woody, branched, and wide- 

 spreading. The stem is arborescent, from six to ten feet in 

 height, sending orF crooked very spinous branches ; the bark 

 when old is purplish brown, ash-coloured or greyish on the young 

 twigs. The leaves are ovate-lanceolate or elliptic, cuneiform 

 at the base, petiolate, minutely and sharply serrated, smooth 

 and dark green above, slightly pubescent, as are the petioles, 

 convolute when young. The flowers are mostly solitary on the 



