16 "2 F. W. C. Areschoug. 



which 1 liavc seon near Minden, as well as at Trier and at Wendenheim, 

 near Strasburg. Mr. Briggs has sent me, from Cornwall as well as Devonshire, 

 nearly the same form as the last named. 



In Sweden, there are no intermediate forms to be found between this 

 species and R. fruticösus, altliough hardly any doubt can exist, that the 

 former was developed out of the latter. Nor has it any particular 

 inclination here to produce varieties. It has developed in Sweden only one 

 variety, which further on will be described. R. nitidus, the re före, gives a 

 complete confirmation to my assertion, that some of the Scandinavian brambles 

 have immigrated as already fixed forms, and here have found such outward 

 surroundings, that they could live in favourable localities, but not so that they 

 could produce any great number of forms, or that the species from which it 

 originated, could produce any intermediate forms. And this must still more be 

 the case, the more southern the species is. The small leaves, as 

 well as the, comparatively, small leaflets in R. nitidus, which are oblong and 

 narrowed towards the base, that differ so much from those of R. fruticösus, 

 on the Scandinavian peninsula, and show so much likeness to those of southern 

 European brambles, give proof, that this species is of southern origin. I think, 

 that 1 hardly make a mistake, when I assume, that R. nitidus arose from 

 R. fruticösus (R. plicatus), in the woods of southern Europé, and that it 

 immigrated here from the continent. 



R. nitidus has, however, produced a variety in our country, which deser- 

 ves attention, viz : 



var. grandifolius; foliolis turionum multo latioribus, terminali rotundato- 

 ovato; foliolo terminali ramorum floriferorum rotundato-ovato— obovato; racemo 

 composito; floribus majoribus. 



Altliough this variety is not distinguished by any particularly essential 

 characteristics from the typical form, it has, however, a rather different appear- 

 ance, and almosl gives the impression of being a hybrid between R. nitidus 

 and insularis, which both grow iii the same wood as the variety. But as it 

 is richly fiuctiferous, and, besides, the likeness to R. insularis does not 

 extend further, than to a certaiu agreement in appearance, it cannot be a 

 hybrid, but simply a modification of R. nitidus. This variety also gives con- 

 tirmation to the statement conceruing the development of forms, which I have before 

 tried to prove, viz, that the ncw forms were not developed gradually, but at 

 once. It shows no gradual transition to the typical species, but both forms 

 hold themselves well separated from one auother. Although they both are to 



