Brier
Brier, or Briar, an evergreen shrub belonging to the heath family. It is native to the Mediterranean region. Brier has a woody, thorny stem, and white, bellshaped flowers. The fruit is a berry. The thick, close-grained roots are used for making the bowls of pipes. Dead roots that have been seasoned in the ground for some time are preferable. Sweetbrier is not a heath but a European rose commonly called eglantine.
The brier is in the heath family, Ericaceae. Its scientific name is Erica arborea. The sensitive brier is in the pea family, Fabaceae or Leguminosae. It is genus Schrankia.