Botanical Society of London. 69 



Ruhi Is incorrect ; all are triennial by the renewed growth of smaller 

 flowering branches from the barren stems or the bases of the withered 

 panicles of the second year, or by the barren stems shooting forth a 

 second crop of barren stems, which flower the third year ; and often 

 the existence of an individual bramble, independent of fresh shoots 

 from the root, is protracted to the fourth or fifth year. 



The consequence of this is, that no specific distinction whatever 

 can be drawn from the inflorescence, which may be long the second 

 year and is much shorter the third ; while it often happens, that 

 when a barren stem becomes prostrate, the panicles of flowers rising 

 from the extreme end are twice or thrice as long as those nearest to 

 the main shrub. This fact of the extended growth of the Rubi has 

 been lost sight of, and hence puzzling productions have been con- 

 sidered as new species, just as R.fastigiatus of Weihe and Nees is 

 but a form of R. plicatus, as now admitted by Esenbeck himself, 

 from its exhibiting a smaller growth of third year's flowers. 



Undoubtedly the barren stem offers the best, if not the only plan 

 of discrimination in subdividing the Ruhi into groups, especially if 

 we take into consideration, in combination with it, the erect or arched 

 mode of growth and continuance of vitality. The leaves are so ex- 

 ceedingly variable in shape, size, and hoariness, as to be almost use- 

 less in this respect. From the table accompanying the paper was 

 seen what the diff^erences really were by which groups can be defined, 

 and it will appear in fact that this resolves itself almost entirely into 

 the perfect smoothness, glaucosity, or more or less hairiness and glan- 

 dulosity of the barren stems. 



Commencing then with R. casius and ending with R. idcsus, it 

 will appear that seven groups are easily separable from each other, 

 and passing from one into the other in a very natural manner. These, 

 at all events, may be considered the smallest number of species into 

 which our Rubi can be classed, without confounding really different 

 things ; while if we proceed further into minuter distinctions, these 

 typical forms will become groups, under which the various varieties, 

 species, or subspecies, of each will be referable. 



1. Ccesii. Having the barren stem round, bloomy, covered with un- 

 equal prickles, trailing, rooting. R. casius and its various deriva- 

 tives. 



2. Glanduloste. Barren stem angular, hairy and prickly, setose, very 

 glandular, arched or trailing, rooting. This group will include 

 R. radula of Weihe and Nees, R. Koehleri, fusco-ater, &c. 



3. VillicaulcB. Barren stem angular, very hairy, but without glands, 

 prickly, arched or decumbent, rooting. Including R. villicaulis, 

 Weihe and Nees ; R. leucostachys, Smith, &c. 



4. Fruticosi. Barren stem angular, glaucous, prickly, arching, root- 

 ing. Including R.fruticosus and discolor. 



5. Nitidi. Barren stem angular, almost smooth, with few prickles, 

 rooting rarely. R. affinis, nitidus, rhamnifolius, &c. 



6. Suberecti. Barren stem angular, very smooth, nearly erect, not 

 rooting. Including 12. swierec^w^, Anderson and Smith; R. pli^ 

 catus, Weihe and Nees ; and R. fssus, Lindley. 



