506 TWO NEW BRAMBLES FROM IRELAND. 



R. iricus, sp. n. (or var. n.). Stem stout, angular, deeply striate 

 or subsulcate, fuscous in exposure, with many fine white hairs 

 stellate and single. Prickles many, rather unequal, almost con- 

 fined to angles, patent or slightly declining, with large triangular 

 base. Leaves lart/e, coriaceous, chiefly 5-nate-pedate, with petiole 

 nearly equalling terminal leaflet, and very long ciliate stipules. 

 Leaflets hardly imbricate, subrm/ose, somewhat hairy and dull deep 

 green above, with shining white hairs on the veins beneath and 

 usually felted when young ; terminal ovate or slightly ohovate with 

 gradually acuminate j)oint and emarginate base, quite four times 

 longer than its stalk ; intermediate large and nearly similar ; basal 

 broad, very shortly stalked; all coarsely and irregularly toothed. 



Panicle most remarkably stout and broad, with distant axillary often 

 composite branches below and a broadly cylindrical-truncate ultra- 

 axillary top, many of the upper branches being cymose-umbellate, 

 with 1-2-flowered peduncles intermixed. Bachis and long upper 

 side branches nearly straight, clothed with demise yellowish-grey villous 

 hairs and felt extending to the sepals, with small slender prickles 

 in the ultra-axillary part and strong unequal ones below. Leaves 

 very large, 5-nate and 3-nate below, with an occasional simple or 

 3-fid one above ; all thick and mostly felted beneath. Bracts many, 

 large, usually 3-fid and more or less gland-ciliate. Sepals ashy- 

 felted inside and out, reddening at base within and yellowish where 

 the long hairs are crowded at the base without, with long acuminate 

 point, strongly reflexed at first (as in all my specimens). Petals 

 large, broadly obovate, clawed, bright pink. Stamens bright pink, 

 nearly erect, exceeding styles. Fruit not seen. 



First observed in 1895 with Fl. hesperius in Galway and Mayo 

 by Messrs. Marshall and Shoolbred, and referred to by them as 

 "allied to R. moUissimus and B. Schlechtendalii" in p. 253 of this 

 year's Journal. When Mr. Marshall revisited the district last 

 summer he sent me excellent and abundant fresh specimens, which 

 I was able to examine and make full notes on before I pressed them. 

 He found the plant in great quantity, especially about Maam, but 

 also at Oughterard, Cong and Clonbur, north of Lough Corrib, and 

 near Lough Mask, to the south and south-east. Most striking and 

 well-marked as this splendid plant is, and always recognizable, 

 I should suppose, at a glance, I have to own to some difficulty in 

 keeping it specifically distinct from my B, mollissim^is ; the N. Devon 

 and Carnarvon forms of which especially approach it closely. It is, 

 however, not only very much stouter and more densely hairy than 

 B. moUissimus, with brighter pinlc petals and stamens ; but the 

 leaflets also are utterly different in texture and considerably 

 narrower, gradually acuminate and emarginate-based (instead of 

 roundish-obovate-cnspidate and entire-based) ; while the prickles 

 below the ultra-axillary top are very strong instead of being 

 exceptionally weak, and the stamens seem relatively short and 

 more erect. 



It is to be hoped that Irish botanists will before long be able 

 to tell us more of the distribution of these two new brambles from 

 Ireland, for the discovery of which we are indebted to Messrs. 

 Marshall and Shoolbred. 



