Shillelagh (club) Shillelagh (club) A shillelagh ( or ; , "thonged willow") or blackthorn stick is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty stick with a large knob at the top. It is associated with Ireland and Irish folklore. Shillelaghs are traditionally made from blackthorn (sloe) wood ("Prunus spinosa") or oak. Wood from the root was prized as it was less prone to crack or break during use. The wood would be smeared with butter or lard, and placed up a chimney to cure, giving the shillelagh its typical black shiny appearance. Another method was
Prunus xueluoensis Prunus xueluoensis Prunus xueluoensis is a species of "Prunus" found in Hubei and Jiangxi provinces of China. It is a shrubby tree 0.5 to 3m tall, preferring to grow at 1100 to 1500m above sea level. It is only known from three mountains; Xueluozhai, Lushan and Jinggangshan. It is morphologically similar to "Prunus tomentosa" and "Prunus tianshanica". It differs from them by a number of features including having two to four flowers per inflorescence, many more stamens per flower, a glabrous pistil and a black fruit. Genetically, "P. xueluoensis" is more closely related to "P. polytricha", "P. jingningensis", and "P.