Mr. Woops on the British Species of Rosa. 191 
On examination of the original specimens of R. mollis in the 
Herbarium of Sir J. E. Smith, it appears to me that, of the 
places of growth mentioned in Engl. Bot. Mr. Jackson's only can 
be safely quoted for this species, and that the others belong to 
R. tomentosa, to which I must also attribute the ** Rosa sylvestris, 
folio molliter hirsuto, fructu rotundo glabro, calyce et pediculo hispi- 
dis" of Dillenius in Rai? Syn. 478. The Rev. Hugh Davies ob- 
serves, that in the plants he finds, the fruit varies from perfect 
smoothness to every degree of roughness; butas R. villosa and 
R. tomentosa have been hitherto described “ fructu hispido," and 
both species are liable to vary in that respect, I do not perceive 
that this observation can at all tend to determine the synonym. 
It is far more likely to be a smooth-fruited variety of R. tomentosa 
(which certainly occurs in Middlesex and Surrey), than the pre- 
sent species, which we have no reason to suppose was ever found 
in those counties. 
I have drawn up the description of this plant from a specimen 
gathered in Mr. Vere's garden at Kensington, in September 1814, 
and from another gathered in Mr. Sabine's garden at North Mims 
in June 1815. ‘These two plants proceeded originally I under- 
stand from the same root. 1 3 
I have already observed, that in most of our Roses the earlier 
leaves of each sort are obtuse: this species seems to havea gener 
quantity of these leaves than most others. 
A plant agreeing closely with these specimens is sold ir Lee 
and by Loddiges under the name of R. villosa, except that the 
aculei are stronger and slightly curved, approaching therefore 
more closely to the plant of the Linnean Herbarium: but though - 
the general character of the aculei is of the greatest consequence, 
] do not find these minute differences much to be depended upon. 
Though 
