Seasonal Wild Flowers - Buckthorn

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Buckthorn

Latin name

Rhamnus cathartica

Other names

Common Buckthorn, Purging Buckthorn

Family

Rhamnaceae

Flowering season

May to June

English distribution

It is found throughout the country but is less common in

the far North, the Southwest, Suffolk and the far

Southeast.

For a map see the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland –

Habitat

It grows in hedges, scrub and woodland on calcium-rich

soils.

Description

Buckthorn is a native, deciduous, thorny shrub or small

tree growing up to 7m.

Male and female flowers occur on separate trees. The

trees shown here were roughly 100m apart in Kingcolme

Nature Resrve in West Dorset.

Male flowers are yellowy-green and small (up to 5mm)

and in clusters, mainly on last year's wood. They are

on longish stalks and have 4 small pale green

lanceolate sepals, 4 spreading green petals and 4

stamens.

Female flowers are similarly small and in clusters and

have 4 styles and stigmas and sometimes the remains

of 4 sterile stamens.

Fruit are green berries which turn black in the autumn.

Leaves are up to 9cm with a distinct petiole, oval,

serrate and with distinct veins.

This year's twigs are green and last year's twigs are

grey.

The main stems are brown with light markings.

Side branches are at right angles.

The main stems and the twigs have thorns which can

be several cm in length.

The bark and the berries can act as purgatives.

Previous page: Buck's-horn Plantain
Next page: Burnet Rose

Buckthorn (female) Kingcolme Nature Reserve, Dorset

Male flowers on separate tree

Cluster of male flowers

Corolla view - 4 stamens and green petals

Side view- flower stems, sepals, petals and stamens

Close-up of anthers

Clusters of female flowers

Closer view of female flower clusters

Close-up of female flower- 4 petals and 4 styles

Side view of female flower- 4 stigmas, 4 petals, 4 sepals

and remains of shrivelled sterile stamens

Female flowers with sterile stamens

Young berries

Black, mature berry in August

Last year's grey wood and ythis year's green wood

Upper leaf surface

Lower leaf surface showing prominent veins

Stems with thorns

Close-up of thorn and stem

Old trunk- bark, mosses and lichens