170 Mr. Woops on the British Species of Rosa. 
species these continue unchanged, or nearly so, in those leaves 
which accompany the inflorescence, and -no stipulae are found 
unaccompanied by leaves; in others the leaflets gradually dimi- 
nish in number, till at last they are entirely deficient, and the 
two stipule unite and form a bractea; in others, again, before 
this process is complete, the stipulæ increase very remarkably in 
breadth, and the first bractea formed is perhaps subrotund, though 
arising from an alteration of strictly.linear stipulæ ; but in the 
cymes of flowers the bractez are repeated, growing gradually 
smaller and somewhat narrower; still, however, retaining traces 
of their original increase in width. The description of the bracteæ 
is therefore taken from the usual form of the first, which are 
found entirely devoid of leaflets; and the circumstance affords a 
very good distinction between two tribes of Roses, the family of 
R. cinnamomea possessing them in a remarkable degree, which I 
therefore describe as bracteate ; and those of the family of R. spi- 
nosissima preserving the stipule nearly unaltered, which I have 
therefore called ebracteate. 
_ This appropriation of terms is not the only liberty for which I 
have to apologize in this essay. I must acknowledge that I have 
described plants as species, of which I can hardly say that I really 
believe them to be distinct; but when this is the case, it is be- 
cause I did not know with what species to join them. In enu- 
merating them as species, I hope likewise to provoke the at- 
tention necessary to rectify the error; while, if placed as varie- 
ties, they would have less chance of being attended to. Another 
circumstance in which I have deviated from the usual practice 
of British botanists, though in this I am supported by the au- 
thority of Willdenow, is, that I have given names to many of 
the most remarkable varieties; and this practice has been 
adopted 
