Contents
What is a blackthorn plant?
Characteristics of blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
Drawing of blackthorn with the leaves, flowers and fruits |
Common noun: Blackthorn
Scientific noun: Prunus spinosa L.
Family: Rose family – Rosaceae
Habitat: In hedges, steep slopes and non dry wood borders.
Description of blackthorn
Perennial shrub of the Rose family- rosaceae– up to 2.5 m.
Numerous stems of dark bark with young twigs pubescent.
Leaves toothed.
White flowers, generally coupled along the flowering branches.
The fruit is a cherry, blueish black.
Picking-up and storing blackthorn
The flowers will be picked up in spring; the fruits, in autumn. The bark and the leaves can be gotten in anyone of the two mentioned seasons. Everything should be dried off in a shady place and kept in recipients in a dry atmosphere.
Components of blackthorn
- Acids: caffeic, – diuretic, hepatoprotective, vulnerary, ferulic (Plant) – anticancerigenous, antioxidant, immunostimulant, vasodilator.
- Pectin (Fruit) -antidiarrhea, antitumoral, bactericide, antiulceric
- Quercitrin. quercitin (Flower) antitumoral, hypoglycemic, vasodilator
- Rating (Flower) antiulceric, anticancerigenous, antihemorroidal, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemic, hypotensive
- Tannin (Fruit) antidiarrhea, antitumoral, antioxidant, antihypertensive
- Amygdalin (Flower) cyanogenic, toxic
More information on blackthorn
This article was endorsed by Julián Masats - Technical agricultural engineer specialized in horticulture and gardening.
