1899] Mitchell, — The white blackberry 205 
Rhynchospora alba. Douglas and Dudley, August 6. 
Juncus bufonius. Apparently common throughout. Seen as far 
north as Royalston, July 2. 
Polygonum hydropiperoides. Sturbridge, July 23 ; Brookfield, August 
20; Dudley, August 27. 
Linum Virginianum. Dudley, August 27. 
Gerardia purpurea, var. paupercula, Brookfield, August 20 ; South- 
bridge, September ro. Am inclined to believe that all the G. purpurea 
in Worcester county may be referred to this variety. 
Rumex verticillatus, in my former article, should be A. Britannica, 
L., a very similar species. I am indebted to Mr. W. P. Rich for call- 
ing my attention to this error, after examining one of my specimens. 
I have collected it also in Brookfield, August 20. 
With a few unimportant exceptions, specimens of the plants men- 
tioned in this article have been examined by Mr. Fernald, and placed 
in the herbarium of the N. E. Botanical Club. 
THE WHITE BLACKBERRY. 
ANN MARIA MITCHELL. 
THE so-called * white blackberry ” is recognized as a distinct variety 
of blackberry by Prof. L. H. Bailey in his Evolution of our Native 
Fruits, 1898, where it is given the name of Rubus nigrobaccus, var. 
albinus Bailey. In this work he refers to what seems to be the first 
mention of this plant, where he reports it in American Gardening for 
1890 under the name of Rubus villosus, var. albinus Bailey. Profes- 
sor Baileys discovery that the Rubus villosus of Aiton is really our 
common dewberry explains the change in the specific name. 
The plant in question is reported by Professor Bailey as occurring 
in certain localities from New York to Michigan. This summer 1 found 
a bush in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, a town in the Connecticut val- 
ley. The bush was between three and four feet high, with foliage re- 
sembling that of the common high blackberry, but of a lighter green. 
The ripe berries were of an amber or flesh color, from one-half to 
three-fourths of an inch in length, sweet and juicy, though hardly so 
highly flavored as the common blackberries. 
Inquiry revealed the fact that the “white blackberry” was known 
to many of the veteran berry-pickers of the locality, though 1 heard of 
