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
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| 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 | |
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| Distribution map | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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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) -
Plant in flower in early spring -
Blackthorn shrub in theVogelsberg -
Close-up of flowers -
(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
edit
The 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.
Uses
edit
The 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.
Flavor
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.
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.
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 with the intent to eat it before the man 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.
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.
- ^abcd Whitney, 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 Grdens, 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.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
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- "Prunus spinosa".Plants for a Future.
- "Sloe recipes".Cookipedia.