THORN - 5 reference results
thorn, sharp-pointed projection on some plants, usually protective in function. Botanically, thorns are distinguished as modified stems (as in the honey locust and hawthorn) from spines, which are modified leaves (as in the barberry), and from prickles, which are epidermal outgrowths of the bark (as in the rose and blackberry). Cacti have both thorns and spines.
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Thorn: see ToruĊ, Poland.
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Jerusalem thorn, name for various plants, particularly the Christ's-thorn.
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Licensed from Columbia University Press
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Christ's-thorn, name for several Old World plants popularly said to have composed the crown of thorns. It is applied most often to two members of the family Rhamnaceae (buckthorn family): (1) the Jerusalem thorn (Paliurus spina-christi), which is a spiny shrub or small tree with curious fruit resembling a miniature head under a wide-brimmed hat; and (2) a variety of jujube. Christ's-thorn is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Rhamnales, family Rhamnaceae.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press
Licensed from Columbia University Press
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