Blackthorn

This species is cultivated for its edible fruit and as grafting stock for other species of Prunoideae.

Shrubs, rarely trees, 4–8 m tall. Branches reddish brown, robust, glabrous, spiny; branchlets reddish brown, densely pubescent. Winter buds purplish red, pubescent. Stipules lanceolate, margin glandular, apex acuminate. Petiole 5–7 mm, pubescent, without nectaries; leaf blade oblong-obovate, elliptic-ovate, or rarely oblong, 2–4 × 0.8–1.8 cm, abaxially yellowish green and pubescent, adaxially dark green and sparsely appressed pubescent, glabrescent, base subrounded to broadly cuneate, margin crenate or sometimes doubly crenate, apex acute to obtuse; secondary veins 4 or 5(–8) on either side of midvein. Flowers solitary, opening before leaves, 1–1.5 cm in diam. Pedicel 6–8(–15) mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Hypanthium outside glabrous. Sepals triangular-ovate, outside glabrous, margin serrulate, apex acute. Petals white with pale purple veins, oblong, base cuneate, apex obtuse. Stamens 20–25. Ovary glabrous. Stigma capitate. Drupe black, globose, broadly ellipsoid, or conical, 1–1.5 cm in diam., glabrous, glaucous; mesocarp green; endocarp brown, ovoid to ellipsoid, ± flattened, rugose. Fl. Apr, fr. Aug.

Cultivated throughout China [native to N Africa, SW Asia, and Europe].

Prunus domestica Linnaeus var. spinosa (Linnaeus) Kuntze.