86 Mr. C. C. Babington on the British Ruhi. 



rect. I believe that the lower (axillary) branches of the panicle 

 ascend in all the varieties^ and the upper (ultra- axillary) branches 

 usually spread at a considerable angle to the rachis. I am not 

 well-acquainted with imr. S, having only one rather doubtful spe- 

 cimen j the character of it is therefore a compilation from books. 



12*. R. Balfourianvs *, caule arcuate teretiusculo patenti-piloso, acu- 

 leis paulo insequalibus tenuibus rectis vix declinatis, foliis quinatis 

 subtus mollibus pallide viridibus» foliolo terminali cordato ovatove 

 acute , infimis subsessilibus intermediis incumbeniibus, paniculse ce- 

 rymbose-difFusse tomentosse setosse bracteis foliaceis trifidis, sepalis 

 ovato-lanceelatis tementesis setosis erecto-patentibus apice foliaceis 

 vel filiformi-attenuatis. 



R. Balfourianus, Bloxam MSS. in Fasc. of Ruhi, 



Stem roundish, striated ; pubescence of scattered patent hairs ; 

 prickles moderate, scattered, nearly equal, straight, very slightly 

 declining, reddish yellow. Leaves large, quinate, dull green and 

 pilose above, pale green soft and downy with the veins yellow 

 beneath, crenate-serrate-apiculate ; terminal leaflet cordate or 

 ovate, acute, on a long stalk ; lateral leaflets ovate, acute, shortly 

 stalked; basal subsessile, ovate, overlapping the intermediate 

 pair ; general and partial petioles pilose, with few distant rather 

 stout depressed yellow prickles; midribs similarly armed; sti- 

 pules lanceolate, leaf-like, attenuated at both ends. — Flowering 

 shoot with scattered hairs. Leaves ternate or quinate ; leaflets 

 ovate, pilose above, downy beneath. Panicle corymbose or diffuse, 

 tomentose, pilose, setose ; lower branches axillary, upper ones 

 subtended by trifid leaf-like bracts. Flowers mostly on long 

 stalks ; terminal one shortly stalked or subsessile ; sepals ovate- 

 lanceolate, very broad, attenuated into a long leaf-like or seta- 

 ceous point, often slightly trifid at the end like the uppermost 

 bracts, downy on both sides, setose, brownish green, erect-patent 

 when the hemispherical fruit is ripe. 



Near Rugby, Warwickshire, Rev. A. Bloxam, August ? 



Ohs. It is difficult to determine the position of this plant. Its 

 stem, pubescence, and prickles place it near to R. sylvaticus, 

 whilst its usually much more lax and diffuse panicle, and espe- 

 cially the erect or embracing calyx of the fruit seem to separate 

 it widely from that species ; in the latter point and in some others 

 of less moment, it is nearly allied to R. Bory^eri, from which its 

 barren stem abundantly distinguishes it. The lower leaflets also 

 overlapping those of the intermediate pair distinguishes it from 

 both of those species. 



Named by Mr. Bloxam in honour of Professor John Hutton 

 Balfour, M.D., of Edinburgh, and in paying this just compli- 

 ment to my valued friend I fully concur with him. 



