Prunus spinosa 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. The leaves resemble tea leaves, and were used as an adulterant of tea. Shlomo Yitzhaki, 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 ) was used as an ingredient in the making of some inks used for manuscripts. The fruit stones have been found in Swiss lake dwellings. Evidence of the early use of sloes by
Prunus cerasus Montmorency cherry is the most popular type of sour cherry in America. The reason for its popularity is its use in baking and recipe creation. including cherry pies, cherry desserts and other cherry-based recipes. "Prunus cerasus", a tetraploid with 2n=32 chromosomes, is thought to have originated as a natural hybrid between "Prunus avium" and "Prunus fruticosa" in the Iranian Plateau or Eastern Europe where the two species come into contact. "Prunus fruticosa" is believed to have provided its smaller size and sour tasting fruit. The hybrids then stabilised and interbred to form a new, distinct species. Cultivated sour cherries were