33-869: Prunus spinosa , called blackthorn or sloe , is an Old World species of flowering plant in the rose family, Rosaceae . It is locally naturalized in parts of the New World. The fruits are used to make sloe gin in Britain and patxaran in Basque Country . The wood is used to make walking sticks , including the Irish shillelagh . Prunus spinosa is a large deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 5 metres (16 feet) tall, with blackish bark and dense, stiff, spiny branches. The leaves are oval, 2–4.5 centimetres ( 3 ⁄ 4 – 1 + 3 ⁄ 4 inches) long and 1.2–2 cm ( 1 ⁄ 2 – 3 ⁄ 4 in) broad, with
66-1835: A molecular phylogeny of plants placed the flowering plants in their evolutionary context: Bryophytes [REDACTED] Lycophytes [REDACTED] Ferns [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The main groups of living angiosperms are: Amborellales [REDACTED] 1 sp. New Caledonia shrub Nymphaeales [REDACTED] c. 80 spp. water lilies & allies Austrobaileyales [REDACTED] c. 100 spp. woody plants Magnoliids [REDACTED] c. 10,000 spp. 3-part flowers, 1-pore pollen, usu. branch-veined leaves Chloranthales [REDACTED] 77 spp. Woody, apetalous Monocots [REDACTED] c. 70,000 spp. 3-part flowers, 1 cotyledon , 1-pore pollen, usu. parallel-veined leaves Ceratophyllales [REDACTED] c. 6 spp. aquatic plants Eudicots [REDACTED] c. 175,000 spp. 4- or 5-part flowers, 3-pore pollen, usu. branch-veined leaves Amborellales Melikyan, Bobrov & Zaytzeva 1999 Nymphaeales Salisbury ex von Berchtold & Presl 1820 Austrobaileyales Takhtajan ex Reveal 1992 Chloranthales Mart. 1835 Canellales Cronquist 1957 Piperales von Berchtold & Presl 1820 Magnoliales de Jussieu ex von Berchtold & Presl 1820 Laurales de Jussieu ex von Berchtold & Presl 1820 Acorales Link 1835 Alismatales Brown ex von Berchtold & Presl 1820 Petrosaviales Takhtajan 1997 Dioscoreales Brown 1835 Pandanales Brown ex von Berchtold & Presl 1820 Liliales Perleb 1826 Asparagales Link 1829 Arecales Bromhead 1840 Poales Small 1903 Zingiberales Grisebach 1854 Commelinales de Mirbel ex von Berchtold & Presl 1820 sl%C4%93#Low German From Misplaced Pages,
99-623: A shillelagh ). In the British Army, blackthorn sticks are carried by commissioned officers of the Royal Irish Regiment ; this is a tradition also in Irish regiments in some Commonwealth countries. Rashi , a Talmudist and Tanakh commentator of the High Middle Ages , writes that the sap (or gum ) of P. spinosa (which he refers to as the prunellier ) was used as an ingredient in
132-405: A tetraploid (2 n =4 x =32) set of chromosomes. Like many other fruits with pits , the pit of the sloe contains trace amounts of hydrogen cyanide . The specific name spinosa is a Latin term indicating the pointed and thornlike spur shoots characteristic of this species. The common name " blackthorn " is due to the thorny nature of the shrub, and possibly its very dark bark: it has
165-442: A woody stem ), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of broad-leaved trees , shrubs and vines , and most aquatic plants . Angiosperms are distinguished from the other major seed plant clade, the gymnosperms , by having flowers , xylem consisting of vessel elements instead of tracheids , endosperm within their seeds, and fruits that completely envelop the seeds. The ancestors of flowering plants diverged from
198-536: A much darker bark than the white-thorn ( hawthorn ), to which it is contrasted. The word commonly used for the fruit, " sloe ", comes from Old English slāh , cognate with Old High German slēha , slēwa , and Modern German Schlehe . Other cognate forms are Frisian and Middle Low German slē , Middle Dutch slee, slie, sleeu ; Modern Dutch slee ; Modern Low German slee / slē , slī ; Danish slåen . The names related to 'sloe' come from
231-453: A serrated margin. The flowers are about 1.5 cm ( 1 ⁄ 2 in) in diameter, with five creamy-white petals; they are produced shortly before the leaves in early spring, and are hermaphroditic , and insect -pollinated. The fruit , called a "sloe", is a drupe 10–12 millimetres ( 3 ⁄ 8 – 1 ⁄ 2 in) in diameter, black with a purple-blue waxy bloom, ripening in autumn and traditionally harvested – at least in
264-610: A total of 64 angiosperm orders and 416 families. The diversity of flowering plants is not evenly distributed. Nearly all species belong to the eudicot (75%), monocot (23%), and magnoliid (2%) clades. The remaining five clades contain a little over 250 species in total; i.e. less than 0.1% of flowering plant diversity, divided among nine families. The 25 most species-rich of 443 families, containing over 166,000 species between them in their APG circumscriptions, are: The botanical term "angiosperm", from Greek words angeíon ( ἀγγεῖον 'bottle, vessel') and spérma ( σπέρμα 'seed'),
297-858: Is starting to impact plants and is likely to cause many species to become extinct by 2100. Angiosperms are terrestrial vascular plants; like the gymnosperms, they have roots , stems , leaves , and seeds . They differ from other seed plants in several ways. The largest angiosperms are Eucalyptus gum trees of Australia, and Shorea faguetiana , dipterocarp rainforest trees of Southeast Asia, both of which can reach almost 100 metres (330 ft) in height. The smallest are Wolffia duckweeds which float on freshwater, each plant less than 2 millimetres (0.08 in) across. Considering their method of obtaining energy, some 99% of flowering plants are photosynthetic autotrophs , deriving their energy from sunlight and using it to create molecules such as sugars . The remainder are parasitic , whether on fungi like
330-625: Is also locally naturalized in Tasmania and eastern North America. The foliage is sometimes eaten by the larvae of Lepidoptera , including the small 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
363-627: Is evidenced in the case of a 5,300-year-old human mummy (nick-named Ötzi ), discovered in the Ötztal Alps along the Austrian-Italian border in 1991: a sloe was found near the remains; evidently the man intended to eat it before he died. Blackthorn makes an excellent fire wood that burns slowly with a good heat and little smoke. The wood takes a fine polish and is used for tool handles and canes. Straight blackthorn stems have traditionally been made into walking sticks or clubs (known in Ireland as
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#1733085808744396-486: Is made from the young shoots in spring rather than from fruits in autumn. In Italy , the infusion of spirit with the fruits and sugar produces a liqueur called bargnolino (or sometimes prunella ). In France, eau de vie de prunelle[s] is distilled from fermented sloes in regions such as the Alsace and vin d'épine is an infusion of early shoots of blackthorn macerated with sugar in wine. Wine made from fermented sloes
429-702: Is made in Britain, and in Germany and other central European countries. It is also sometimes used in the brewing of lambic beer in Belgium . Sloes can also be made into jam , chutney , and used in fruit pies. Sloes preserved in vinegar are similar in taste to Japanese umeboshi . The juice of the fruits dyes linen a reddish colour that washes out to a durable pale blue. The leaves resemble tea leaves, and were used as an adulterant of tea. The fruit stones have been found in Swiss lake dwellings. Early human use of sloes as food
462-406: Is picked after the first few days of autumn frost. This effect can be reproduced by freezing harvested sloes. Since the plant is hardy, and grows in a wide range of conditions, it is used as a rootstock for many other species of plum, as well as some other fruit species. The juice is used in the manufacture of fake port wine , and used as an adulterant to impart roughness to genuine port, into
495-485: The Alismatales grow in marine environments, spreading with rhizomes that grow through the mud in sheltered coastal waters. Some specialised angiosperms are able to flourish in extremely acid or alkaline habitats. The sundews , many of which live in nutrient-poor acid bogs , are carnivorous plants , able to derive nutrients such as nitrate from the bodies of trapped insects. Other flowers such as Gentiana verna ,
528-510: The article wizard to submit a draft for review, or request a new article . Search for " Slē " in existing articles. Look for pages within Misplaced Pages that link to this title . Other reasons this message may be displayed: If a page was recently created here, it may not be visible yet because of a delay in updating the database; wait a few minutes or try the purge function . Titles on Misplaced Pages are case sensitive except for
561-580: The clade Angiospermae ( / ˌ æ n dʒ i ə ˈ s p ər m iː / ). The term 'angiosperm' is derived from the Greek words ἀγγεῖον / angeion ('container, vessel') and σπέρμα / sperma ('seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed within a fruit. The group was formerly called Magnoliophyta . Angiosperms are by far the most diverse group of land plants with 64 orders , 416 families , approximately 13,000 known genera and 300,000 known species . They include all forbs (flowering plants without
594-460: The orchids for part or all of their life-cycle, or on other plants , either wholly like the broomrapes, Orobanche , or partially like the witchweeds, Striga . In terms of their environment, flowering plants are cosmopolitan, occupying a wide range of habitats on land, in fresh water and in the sea. On land, they are the dominant plant group in every habitat except for frigid moss-lichen tundra and coniferous forest . The seagrasses in
627-451: The sepals are bent backwards in P. cerasifera , but not in P. spinosa . They can be distinguished in winter by the shrubbier habit with stiffer, wider-angled branches of P. spinosa ; in summer by the relatively narrower leaves of P. spinosa , more than twice as long as broad; and in autumn by the colour of the fruit skin purplish black in P. spinosa and yellow or red in P. cerasifera . Prunus spinosa has
660-883: The "Big Five" extinction events in Earth's history, only the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event had occurred while angiosperms dominated plant life on the planet. Today, the Holocene extinction affects all kingdoms of complex life on Earth, and conservation measures are necessary to protect plants in their habitats in the wild ( in situ ), or failing that, ex situ in seed banks or artificial habitats like botanic gardens . Otherwise, around 40% of plant species may become extinct due to human actions such as habitat destruction , introduction of invasive species , unsustainable logging , land clearing and overharvesting of medicinal or ornamental plants . Further, climate change
693-481: The 20th century. In rural Britain a liqueur , sloe gin , is made by infusing gin with sloes and sugar. Vodka can also be infused with sloes. Similarly, in Northern Greece , they make a blackthorn liqueur by infusing tsipouro with the fruit and adding sugar. In Navarre , Spain, a popular liqueur called pacharán is made with sloes. In France a liqueur called épine or épinette or troussepinette
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#1733085808744726-688: The UK – in October or November, after the first frosts. Sloes are thin-fleshed, with a very strongly astringent flavour when fresh. 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. Prunus spinosa is frequently confused with the related P. cerasifera (cherry plum), particularly in early spring when the latter starts flowering somewhat earlier than P. spinosa . They can be distinguished by flower colour, pure white in P. spinosa , creamy white in P. cerasifera . In addition,
759-572: The blackthorn may have been associated with the ancient Celtic celebration of Imbolc , traditionally celebrated on February 1 in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. The name of the dark-coloured cloth prunella was derived from the French word prunelle , meaning sloe. Flowering plant Basal angiosperms Core angiosperms Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits , and form
792-435: The case-bearer moth Coleophora anatipennella . Dead blackthorn wood provides food for the caterpillars of the concealer moth Esperia oliviella . The shrub, with its long, sharp thorns, is traditionally used in Britain and other parts of northern Europe to make a cattle-proof hedge . The fruit is similar to a small damson or plum , suitable for preserves, but rather tart and astringent for eating fresh unless it
825-454: The common Germanic root slaihwō . Compare Old Slavic , Bulgarian, Macedonian, Ukrainian and Russian слива ( sliva , Ukr. slyva ), West Slavic / Polish śliwa ; plum of any species, including sloe śliwa tarnina —root present in other Slavic languages , e.g. Bosnian , Croatian , Montenegrin and Serbian šljiva / шљива . The species is native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It
858-547: The common ancestor of all living gymnosperms before the end of the Carboniferous , over 300 million years ago. In the Cretaceous , angiosperms diversified explosively , becoming the dominant group of plants across the planet. Agriculture is almost entirely dependent on angiosperms, and a small number of flowering plant families supply nearly all plant-based food and livestock feed. Rice , maize and wheat provide half of
891-635: The flowering plants as an unranked clade without a formal Latin name (angiosperms). A formal classification was published alongside the 2009 revision in which the flowering plants rank as the subclass Magnoliidae. From 1998, the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) has reclassified the angiosperms, with updates in the APG II system in 2003, the APG III system in 2009, and the APG IV system in 2016. In 2019,
924-883: The 💕 Look for Slē on one of Misplaced Pages's sister projects : [REDACTED] Wiktionary (dictionary) [REDACTED] Wikibooks (textbooks) [REDACTED] Wikiquote (quotations) [REDACTED] Wikisource (library) [REDACTED] Wikiversity (learning resources) [REDACTED] Commons (media) [REDACTED] Wikivoyage (travel guide) [REDACTED] Wikinews (news source) [REDACTED] Wikidata (linked database) [REDACTED] Wikispecies (species directory) Misplaced Pages does not have an article with this exact name. Please search for Slē in Misplaced Pages to check for alternative titles or spellings. You need to log in or create an account and be autoconfirmed to create new articles. Alternatively, you can use
957-421: The making of some inks used for manuscripts . A "sloe-thorn worm" used as fishing bait is mentioned in the 15th-century work, The Treatyse of Fishing with an Angle . In Middle English , slō has been used to denote something of trifling value. The expression " sloe-eyed " for a person with dark eyes comes from the fruit, and is first attested in A. J. Wilson 's 1867 novel Vashti . The flowering of
990-518: The manner of vines or lianas . The number of species of flowering plants is estimated to be in the range of 250,000 to 400,000. This compares to around 12,000 species of moss and 11,000 species of pteridophytes . The APG system seeks to determine the number of families , mostly by molecular phylogenetics . In the 2009 APG III there were 415 families. The 2016 APG IV added five new orders (Boraginales, Dilleniales, Icacinales, Metteniusales and Vahliales), along with some new families, for
1023-568: The spring gentian, are adapted to the alkaline conditions found on calcium -rich chalk and limestone , which give rise to often dry topographies such as limestone pavement . As for their growth habit , the flowering plants range from small, soft herbaceous plants , often living as annuals or biennials that set seed and die after one growing season, to large perennial woody trees that may live for many centuries and grow to many metres in height. Some species grow tall without being self-supporting like trees by climbing on other plants in
Prunus spinosa - Misplaced Pages Continue
1056-554: The world's staple calorie intake, and all three plants are cereals from the Poaceae family (colloquially known as grasses). Other families provide important industrial plant products such as wood , paper and cotton , and supply numerous ingredients for beverages , sugar production , traditional medicine and modern pharmaceuticals . Flowering plants are also commonly grown for decorative purposes , with certain flowers playing significant cultural roles in many societies. Out of
1089-483: Was coined in the form "Angiospermae" by Paul Hermann in 1690, including only flowering plants whose seeds were enclosed in capsules. The term angiosperm fundamentally changed in meaning in 1827 with Robert Brown , when angiosperm came to mean a seed plant with enclosed ovules. In 1851, with Wilhelm Hofmeister 's work on embryo-sacs, Angiosperm came to have its modern meaning of all the flowering plants including Dicotyledons and Monocotyledons. The APG system treats
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