A modern reference to temperate woody plants, including updated content from this site and much new material, can be found at Trees and Shrubs Online.

Rhamnus infectoria L.

Modern name

Rhamnus infectoria L.

A deciduous shrub of spreading habit up to 7 ft high, the side twigs spine-tipped; young shoots downy. Leaves very variable, mostly oval, but also ovate or obovate; tapered at both ends, finely toothed, 12 to 112 in. long, 14 to 34 in. wide, upper surface dark green, mostly glabrous, or with down on the midrib, lower one smooth or slightly downy; veins in three or four pairs converging upwards; stalk 18 to 13 in. long, usually downy. Fruits two-seeded, black.

Native of S.W. Europe. It has longer, firmer-textured leaves than R. saxatilis, but the two are perhaps only varieties of the one species. The fruit is (or was once) used by dyers under the name of Graine dAvignon. There is a rather handsome bush at Kew, 7 ft high, and 15 ft in diameter, distinguished by its dense, gnarled branches.


Genus

Rhamnus

Other species in the genus