Z THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



not restricted to the ridges of the stem and the backs of 

 the petioles. When handled the bristle points turn harm- 

 lessh' in a calloused hand, but the stiff base will at least 

 irritate. Leaflets five, dark green ; the middle one has a 

 stalk one-half inch long, the others sessile, oval, rather 

 coarsely dentate-serrate ; outline regular and entire, taper- 

 pointed ; length about twice the width ; bristles on peti- 

 oles strong. The entire plant is as perfectlj^ glabrous as 

 Rubiis argutus, there being no stalked glands, and the 

 only pubescence is a close one barely preceptible on the 

 fruit branches or new growth on the old canes. 



Old canes. These put out no basal leai branches like 

 Ruhus argutus and some other kinds, but only fruiting 

 branches, generally from one to four from the axil of each 

 old leaf; and as these buds seldom fail to grow, the old 

 cane is so loaded that it often partly reclines on the 

 ground, or on stones or an^^thing which is at hand to 

 support it. It thus often becomes the "running black- 

 berry" of man3^ persons who do not knowi?u/j>«s villosus, 

 Ait. which prefers low altitudes. The fruit branch is 

 generally somewhat zigzag, five to seven inches long, 

 slender; bristle-prickles few and weak with about two 

 leaves at nearly equal intervals. Leaves mostly trifoliate, 

 not so deep green as those on new canes; leaflets sessile, 

 wedge-obovate, coarsely serrate, somewhat pointed. 

 Unifoliate leaves not numerous, more or less incised. 



The inflorescence occupies about one-third of the fruit- 

 ing branch; racemose not corymbose, six to twelve-flow- 

 ered ; pedicels rareh^ branched. Flowers oi good size, one 

 to one and one-quarter inches broad Imt often less; petals 

 spatulate-obovate, regular in shape, normalh^ five but 

 often more, about one-half inch long and rather less than 

 one-half as wide, not wrinkled, very white. 



The fruit is generall}' too small, sour and seedy to be 

 much sought by berry pickers since better berries can 

 generally be hcul, but it is a profuse bearer, and in favor- 

 able places is often more than one-third as large as the 

 famed Ruhus nigrobaccus, Baile\'; or high blackberry, 

 better known to many as the "sow-teat blackberry," and 



