Prunus spinosa,calledblackthornorsloe,is a species offlowering plantin the rose familyRosaceae.The species is native to Europe, western Asia, and regionally in northwest Africa. It is locallynaturalizedinNew Zealand,Tasmania,and thePacific NorthwestandNew Englandregions ofthe United States.
Prunus spinosa | |
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Fruit | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Rosaceae |
Genus: | Prunus |
Subgenus: | Prunussubg.Prunus |
Section: | Prunussect.Prunus |
Species: | P. spinosa
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Binomial name | |
Prunus spinosa | |
Distribution map | |
Synonyms[2] | |
List
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The fruits are used to makesloe ginin Britain andpatxaraninBasque Country.The wood is used to makewalking sticks,including theIrish shillelagh.
Description
editPrunus spinosais a largedeciduousshrubor smalltreegrowing to 5 metres (16 feet) tall, with blackish bark and dense, stiff, spiny branches. Theleavesare oval,2–4.5 centimetres (3⁄4–1+3⁄4inches) long and1.2–2 cm (1⁄2–3⁄4in) broad, with a serrated margin. Theflowersare about1.5 cm (1⁄2in) in diameter, with five creamy-white petals; they are produced shortly before the leaves in early spring,[3]and arehermaphroditic,andinsect-pollinated. Thefruit,called a "sloe", is adrupe10–12 millimetres (3⁄8–1⁄2in) in diameter, black with a purple-blue waxy bloom, ripening in autumn and traditionally harvested – at least in the UK – in October or November, after the first frosts. Sloes are thin-fleshed, with a very stronglyastringentflavour when fresh.[4]
Blackthorn usually grows as a bush but can grow to become a tree to a height of 6 m. Its branches usually grow forming a tangle.[5][6]
Prunus spinosais frequently confused with the relatedP. cerasifera(cherry plum), particularly in early spring when the latter starts flowering somewhat earlier thanP. spinosa.[citation needed]They can be distinguished by flower colour, pure white inP. spinosa,creamy white inP. cerasifera.In addition, thesepalsare bent backwards inP. cerasifera,but not inP. spinosa.[7]They can be distinguished in winter by the shrubbier habit with stiffer, wider-angled branches ofP. spinosa;in summer by the relatively narrower leaves ofP. spinosa,more than twice as long as broad;[4][8][page needed]and in autumn by the colour of the fruit skin purplish black inP. spinosaand yellow or red inP. cerasifera.[9]: 207
Prunus spinosahas atetraploid(2n=4x=32) set of chromosomes.[10]
Like many other fruits withpits,the pit of the sloe contains trace amounts ofhydrogen cyanide.[11]
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Illustration byOtto Wilhelm Thomé(1885)
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Plant in flower in early spring
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Blackthorn shrub in theVogelsberg
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Close-up of flowers
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(Presumablygrafted)Husband and wife tree
Etymology
editThe specific namespinosais a Latin term indicating the pointed and thornlikespur shootscharacteristic of this species. The common name "blackthorn"is due to the thorny nature of the shrub, and possibly its very dark bark: it has a much darker bark than the white-thorn (hawthorn), to which it is contrasted.[12]
The word commonly used for the fruit, "sloe",comes fromOld Englishslāh,cognatewithOld High Germanslēha,slēwa,and ModernGermanSchlehe.[13]Other cognate forms are Frisian andMiddle Low German[a]slē,Middle Dutchslee, slie, sleeu;Modern Dutchslee;ModernLow Germanslee/slē,slī;[13][14]Danishslåen.[13]
The names related to 'sloe' come from the commonGermanicrootslaihwō.CompareOld Slavic,Bulgarian, Macedonian, Ukrainian and Russianслива(sliva,Ukr.slyva),[14][13]West Slavic/Polishśliwa;plum of any species, including sloeśliwa tarnina—root present in otherSlavic languages,e.g.Bosnian,Croatian,MontenegrinandSerbianšljiva/шљива.
Distribution and habitat
editThe species is native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa.[15][4]It is also locallynaturalizedinTasmaniaand eastern North America.[15]
Ecology
editThe foliage is sometimes eaten by thelarvaeofLepidoptera,including thesmall eggar moth,emperor moth,willow beauty,white-pinion spotted,common emerald,November moth,pale November moth,mottled pug,green pug,brimstone moth,feathered thorn,brown-tail,yellow-tail,short-cloaked moth,lesser yellow underwing,lesser broad-bordered yellow underwing,double square-spot,black hairstreak,brown hairstreak,hawthorn moth (Scythropia crataegella) and the case-bearer mothColeophora anatipennella.Dead blackthorn wood provides food for the caterpillars of theconcealer mothEsperia oliviella.[citation needed]
Uses
editThe shrub, with its long, sharp thorns, is traditionally used in Britain and other parts of northern Europe to make a cattle-proofhedge.[16]
The fruit is similar to a smalldamsonorplum,suitable for preserves, but rathertartandastringentfor eating, unless it is picked after the first few days of autumn frost. This effect can be reproduced by freezing harvested sloes.[17]
Since the plant is hardy, and grows in a wide range of conditions, it is used as arootstockfor many other species of plum, as well as some other fruit species.[citation needed]
Flavour
editThe juice is used in the manufacture of fakeport wine,and used as anadulterantto impart roughness to genuine port, into the 20th century.[18][19][20]In rural Britain aliqueur,sloe gin,is made by infusingginwith sloes and sugar.Vodkacan also be infused with sloes.[21]Similarly, inNorthern Greece,they make a blackthorn liqueur by infusingtsipourowith the fruit and adding sugar.[citation needed]
InNavarre,Spain, a popular liqueur calledpacharánis made with sloes. In France a liqueur calledépineorépinetteortroussepinetteis made from the young shoots in spring rather than from fruits in autumn. InItaly,the infusion of spirit with the fruits and sugar produces a liqueur calledbargnolino(or sometimesprunella). In France,eau de viede prunelle[s]is distilled from fermented sloes in regions such as theAlsace[b]andvin d'épineis an infusion of early shoots of blackthornmaceratedwith sugar in wine.[24][25]Wine made fromfermentedsloes is made in Britain, and inGermanyand other central European countries. It is also sometimes used in the brewing oflambicbeer inBelgium.[citation needed]
Food
editSloes can also be made intojam,chutney,[21]and used in fruit pies. Sloes preserved invinegarare similar in taste toJapaneseumeboshi.The juice of the fruits dyes linen a reddish colour that washes out to a durable pale blue.[16]
The leaves resemble tea leaves, and were used as an adulterant of tea.[19][26]
Thefruit stoneshave been found in Swiss lake dwellings.[19]Early human use of sloes as food is evidenced in the case of a 5,300-year-old humanmummy(nick-namedÖtzi), discovered in theÖtztal Alpsalong the Austrian-Italian border in 1991: a sloe was found near the remains; evidently the man intended to eat it before he died.[27][28]
Wood
editBlackthorn makes an excellentfire woodthat burns slowly with a good heat and little smoke.[29]The wood takes a fine polish and is used for tool handles and canes.[26]Straight blackthorn stems have traditionally been made intowalking sticksorclubs(known inIrelandas ashillelagh).[30]In the British Army, blackthorn sticks are carried by commissioned officers of theRoyal Irish Regiment;this is a tradition also in Irish regiments in someCommonwealthcountries.[citation needed]
Inks
editRashi,aTalmudistandTanakhcommentator of theHigh Middle Ages,writes that the sap (orgum) ofP. spinosa(which he refers to as theprunellier) was used as an ingredient in the making of someinks used for manuscripts.[31]
A "sloe-thorn worm" used asfishing baitis mentioned in the 15th-century work,The Treatyse of Fishing with an Angle.[32]
Culture
editInMiddle English,slōhas been used to denote something of trifling value.[33][14]
The expression "sloe-eyed"for a person with dark eyes comes from the fruit, and is first attested inA. J. Wilson's 1867 novelVashti.[34]
The flowering of the blackthorn may have been associated with the ancient Celtic celebration ofImbolc,traditionally celebrated on February 1 in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.[35]
The name of the dark-coloured clothprunellawas derived from the French wordprunelle,meaning sloe.[36]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^Rhodes, L.; Maxted, N. (2016)."Prunus spinosa".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2016:e.T172194A19400568.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T172194A19400568.en.Retrieved19 November2021.
- ^"Prunus spinosaL. "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species(ver. 1.1 ed.).Retrieved27 January2014.
- ^Clapham, A.C.; Tutin, T.G.; Warburg, E.F. (1968).Excursion Flora of the British Isles.Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.ISBN0-521-04656-4.
- ^abcRushforth 1999[page needed]
- ^Kilbracken, J. (1995).Larousse Easy Way Guide to Trees.Larousse.ISBN0-7523-0027X.
- ^"Prunus spinosa– Sloe, Blackthorn ".PFAF Plant Database.
- ^"Blackthorn flowers".Tree Guide UK.Retrieved9 February2022.
- ^Vedel, H.; Lange, J. (1960). "Prunus spinosa".Trees and Bushes in Wood and Hedgerow.London, UK:Methuen.ISBN0-413-30160-5.[page needed]
- ^Stace, C.A.(2019).New Flora of the British Isles(4th ed.). Middlewood Green, Suffolk, U.K.: C. & M. Floristics.ISBN978-1-5272-2630-2.
- ^Weinberger 1975,pp. 336–347.
- ^"Schlehen entkernen – ein Ding der Unmöglichkeit?"[Pitting sloes: An impossible thing?].Garten Journal(in German). 12 November 2018.RetrievedNovember 17,2021.
- ^Johns, Charles Alexander(1882)."The Blackthorn".The Forest Trees of Britain.Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. pp. 103–112, esp. 105 – via Google Books.
- ^abcdWhitney, William Dwight; Smith, Benjamin Eli, eds. (1906)."sloe".The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia.Vol. 7 – via Google Books.
- ^abc"sloe".Oxford English Dictionary(1st ed.).Oxford University Press.1933.
- ^ab"Prunus spinosaL. "Plants of the World Online.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Retrieved21 March2023.
- ^abCoats 1992,Prunus.
- ^Brown, Lynda (July 1994)."Damson time".House & Garden.Vol. 166. pp. 140–142, esp. 142 – via Google Books.
In former times people waited to pick the sloes until the first frost which makes the skins more permeable... [A proprietor] which makes one of the best sloe gins, recommends freezing the fruit first.
- ^Gilman, D. C.;Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). .New International Encyclopedia(1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
- ^abcRines, George Edwin, ed. (1920).Encyclopedia Americana. .
- ^White, Florence(1952).Good English Food, Local and Regional.p. 52 – via Google Books.
It appears that the cheaper kinds of so-called port consumed in this country are largely adulterated with sloe-juice.
- ^abKerri (10 Oct 2010)."Sloe gin and sloe chutney".Dinner Diary.Retrieved31 August2017.
- ^Alsace: produits du terroir et recettes traditionnelles.Albin Michel. 1998 – via Google Books.
- ^Sacré, Jacques (2004).Bon appétit, commissaire Maigret, ou Maigret et la table.Céfal. p. 9.ISBN978-2-87130-148-6– via Google Books.
- ^Pasty, Gilbert (1999).Glossaire des dialectes marchois et haut limousin de la Creuse.G. Pasty. p. 155.ISBN978-2-9513615-0-8– via Google Books.
- ^Seaton, Jessica (2017).Gather Cook Feast: Recipes from land and water by the co-founder of Toast.Penguin UK. p. 123.ISBN978-0-241-29885-5– via Google Books.
- ^abBeach, Chandler B., ed. (1914). . .Chicago: F. E. Compton and Co.
- ^Ghose, Tia (8 November 2012)."Mummy melodrama: Top 9 secrets about Ötzi the Iceman".LiveScience.Retrieved10 November2012.(to locate, click ahead to part 7)
- ^"Ötzi the Iceman".The Copper Age.Museo Archeologico dell'Alto Adige.2016.Retrieved2019-07-19.
- ^The Burning Properties of Wood(PDF)(Report).The Scout Association.1999. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2012-12-23.
- ^Chouinard, Maxime (2007).The stick is king: TheShillelagh Bataor the rediscovery of a living Irish martial tradition(PDF)(Report).Archived(PDF)from the original on 1 January 2012.Retrieved17 November2022.
- ^Talmud Bavli,Tractate Shabbat 23a
- ^Berners, Dame Juliana (attributed to)(3 August 2006) [c. 1420].The Treatyse of Fishing with an Angle.Waking Lion Press.ISBN978-1-60096-446-6.
- ^Lewis, Robert E., ed. (1988)."slō".Middle English Dictionary.University of Michigan Press. p. 1063.ISBN0-472-01198-7– via Google Books.
- ^"sloe-eyed".Oxford English Dictionary(Online ed.).Oxford University Press.(Subscription orparticipating institution membershiprequired.)
- ^Aveni, Anthony F. (2004).The Book of the Year: A brief history of our seasonal holidays.Oxford University Press.p. 38.ISBN0-19-517154-3.
- ^"prunella".Merriam-Webster.Retrieved2021-05-22– via merriam-webster.com.
Bibliography
edit- Coats, Alice M. (1992) [1964]. "Prunus".Garden Shrubs and Their Histories.New York, NY:Simon & Schuster.ISBN0-671-74733-9.
- Rushforth, K. (1999).Trees of Britain and Europe.Collins.ISBN0-00-220013-9.[page needed]
- Weinberger, J.H. (1975). "Plums". In Janick, J.; Moore, J.N. (eds.).Advances in Fruit Breeding.West Lafayette, IN:Purdue University Press.pp. 336–347.ISBN0-911198-36-9.
External links
edit- Media related toPrunus spinosaat Wikimedia Commons
- "Prunus spinosa".Plants for a Future.
- "Sloe recipes".Cookipedia.