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. Flowers usually 

 expanding before the leaves begin to appear. I'etals obovatc. 

 Fruit small, sub-globiilar, erect. 



Var. a, genuina. 

 Flowers expanding before the leaves appear. 



Var. 3, coiitanea. 



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, wdtli 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 inclies 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, ^ to f 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 \ inch in diameter, bluish-black, with a glaucous 

 bloom ; pulp very austere, adhering to the stone, which is roimdish, 

 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 Sloe. 



French, Prunier Epiiieux. German, ScMehen Vjlauim. 



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 bo\ighs, 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. Loudon tells us that in Eastwell Park 

 in Kent, he has seen it gi-owiug thirty feet in height. In August the fruit, known as 

 the Sloe, is ripe ; it is covered with a Ijluish bloom, and looks as it hangs on tlie trees 

 very tempting ; but its taste is peculiarly harsh aud acid, and it is only appetites sharp- 



