PKOFESSOR BADINGTON ON RUBUS IN IHOI. 291 



out to replace universally recognised names, however much it may 

 seem to be required by the rigid application of laws of nomenclature. 

 The great variabiHty of some "species" causes mitch trouble to 

 the describer of plants. Many of these forms seem to retain, even 

 from seed, marked and often striking peculiarities, and deserve 

 distinctive names, although we can hardly call them species. 

 Hybrids also seem to be not very uncommon, and when their 

 parents can be discovered they are well deserving of notice. But 

 such plants often are mistaken for species, for, owing to the way in 

 which brambles increase by offsets, one of them may be found 

 covering a large space, although possibly never producing ripe seeds. 

 Such ought to be described, but doubtful isolated plants should be 

 neglected until we can learn more about them, and that seems to 

 be the duty of the botanist who observes them in a living state. 



EuBUs LENTiGiNosus Lgcs. Stem " suberect," furrowed upwards, 

 slightly hairy. Prickles conical, slightly declining from dilated com- 

 pressed base, on angles. Leaves Snate-digitate. Leaflets thin plicate, 

 not imbricate, doubly and irregularly serrate, green, nearly glabrous, 

 but slightly hairy on veins beneath ; terminal 2-3 times as long as 

 its petiole, obovate-acuminate, narrowed and scarcely notched below. 

 Brandies of rather long narrow leafy panicle ascendiiuj, racemose, its 

 rachis and peduncles pilose, not felted, with many strong declining 

 or deflexed prickles. Sepals oval, linear-pointed, slightly setose, acicu- 

 late, adpressed to fruit. 



R. lenticiinosus Lees in Steele, GO (1849) ; Phytol. iv. 927. 



11. afjinis, (3. lentiijinosus Bab. IL li. 72. 



The stems apparently do not root at end, but the plant can 

 hardly be placed with the Suberecti. It seems far more nearly 

 allied to /.'. Lindleicmns, but is abnormal in respect to stem among 

 Illiamni/olii. The panicle-branches have a long naked unbranched 

 base as in U. Lindleianus, and the rachis has many rather strong 

 deflexed prickles. I have no certain knowledge of the relative 

 lengths of stamens and styles, but apparently the former exceed the 

 latter." This is an interesting plant as connecting the two sections, 

 but being apparently far more allied to the plants included in 

 Ilhavinifulii than to Suberecti. 



Hab. Capel Curig {Lees) and Aber (Bloxam) and Llanberis 

 (./. H. Leu'is). Near Plymouth, Devon (Brings). 



Mr. Lees says in the Phi/tohH/ist that the flowers are in general 

 small, and the whole plant weak, yet the stem is very prickly, and 

 the points of the prickles are sharp and attenuated. The stem 

 seems to be constantly suberect, but bent to the ground with 

 the flower- shoots. Leaves sometimes 7nate. Panicle flexuose on 

 luxuriant plants, with many alternating axillary racemes of small 

 flowers. Peduncles and bracts covered with long spreading hairs, 

 with a few glands (seta;) on the latter. Sepals patent with flower 

 and young fruit, then becoming loosely reflexed. Petals very small. 

 Stamens and styles pale green. 



* " Stamens and styles about equal." — Focke, 



