THE GENUS SCAPHOSEPALUM PFITZER. 135 



b. Acicidi and seta scattered, or none. 



50. R. Balfourianus Blox. — Seen with Mr. Rogers at Milton 

 and Buckland, S. Hants. Near Plymouth I have seen a similar 

 bramble. 



Cont. distrib. W. France. 



51. R. corylifolius Sm. — I saw several varieties of it at Milton, 

 S. Hants; and near West Moors, Gore Heath, and Daggons, Dorset. 



Nearly allied variable forms occur on the Continent. 



52. R. c^sius L. — As far as I remember, I have seen no living 

 true R. cassius in England. I know the English plant from dried 

 specimens. 



Cont. distrib. Nearly the whole of Europe, except the subarctic 

 and the most southern parts ; N.W. Asia. 



Finally, I may say a few words about R. pubescens W. et N. 

 I have seen in England several forms, which I supposed at first 

 sight to be varieties of that species. Every single shrub, however, 

 thought to be near pubescens or near thyrsoideus was not only some- 

 what different from the continental types, but it could not be 

 exactly identified with any other similar English plant. Every 

 single bush I saw had its own appearance, its own characters. 

 Therefore I cannot believe that these individual forms represent a 

 true natural species ; they may be the modified offspring of some 

 natural hybrids. I have not mentioned such species as R. incurvatus 

 Bab., R. Colemanni Blox., and R. fusco-ater W. et N., because I had 

 no opportunity of examining them in a satisfactory manner. The 

 two first-named species are unknown on the Continent, and the 

 third is not yet very well defined, and requires further research. 

 The same difficulty exists in a group of forms, like R. Salteri and 

 R. hirtifolius, intermediate between R. villicaulis and R. pyramidalis 

 Kaltenb. On the other hand, I know several unnamed or provisionally 

 named English brambles, which, I think, represent well-marked 

 species ; they must be studied more accurately than can be done in 

 a short visit. My own impression is that the knowledge of our 

 indigenous brambles has advanced very much since the time when 

 Prof. Babington's standard book appeared. That knowledge is, 

 however, far from being satisfactory, and I trust a continued study 

 will reveal interesting facts. 



THE GENUS SCAPHOSEPALUM Pfitzer. 



By R. Allen Rolfe, A.L.S. 



There is a curious little group of Orchids, comprising about 

 nine known species, which have presented some difficulty to 

 botanists. The first known was described as Masdevallia verrucosa 

 Rchb. f., in 1849, but five years later the same author transferred 

 it to Pleurothallis, where it was retained by Lindley in his mono- 



