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 microcarpa Prunus microcarpa Prunus microcarpa (small-fruited cherry, Arabic name: كرز صغير الثمر ) is a species of "Prunus" native to Western Asia and the Caucasus. "Prunus microcarpa" is a deciduous bushy shrub with rigid branchlets. Its glabrous leaves are ovate to elliptic. "Prunus microcarpa" produces white to pale pink hermaphrodite flowers in April. The flowers are solitary or in pairs and are 1 cm across. Its 1 cm-long fruit is ovoid and turns yellow to orange, red or black when ripe and may be toxic if consumed excessively. The shrub's fruit can be used to obtain a dark grey to green