34 THF. NATURALIST. 



tube ovate-urceolate or subglobose, purplish and bloomy in exposure, 

 varying from glabrous to densely aciculate and setose, the segments about 

 three-quarters of an inch long, leaf-pointed, entire or only slightly pinnate, 

 densely clothed on the back with setae and aciculi. Petals almost crimson 

 in bud, usually deep rose-coloured when expanded, beautifully veined with 

 a deeper red, sometimes paler, sometimes pure white, occasionally gland- 

 ciliated along the edge, about as long as the larger sepals, so that the 

 expanded corolla is about au inch and a half across. Styles villose. 

 Sepals erecto-patent or connivent after the sepals fall. Fruit ripening in 

 the North of England early in August, sometimes even changing colour 

 in the latter part of July, more or less typically globose in shape, at first 

 a reddish-orange, finally a bright crimson, in fine specimens measuring 

 five-eights of an inch each way, crowned till it fades by the truly persis- 

 tent sepals, the stalk sometimes erect but not unfrequently cemuous. 



With us but little liable to vary. The principal change is in the 

 clothing of the leaves, which are usually soft and grey, and with very few 

 glands beneath, but sometimes greener, harsher, and more glandular, and 

 the same may be said of the sepals. From tomentosa the nature of the 

 fruit furnishes the best character of distinction. Although they flower at 

 the same time, this species ripens its fruit at least a month earlier. By 

 the middle of August its bright crimson globes, often gracefully pendant 

 from the cernuous peduncles, are already a conspicuous object in the hedge 

 rows. They soon grow pulpy in texture, the skin and juice having a 

 pleasant acid flavour, are crowned to the end by the truly persistent 

 connivent and sparingly compound sepals, and deliquesce with the early 

 frosts. As in tomentosa both naked and prickly fruited forms are common. 

 The ciliation of the petals, as above described, which is mentioned both by 

 Fries and Deseglise as a cha,racter of mollissima is quite unusual in our 

 plant, and accurs also in undoubted tomentosa. In the latter the fruit is 

 typically ovate, but so great is the resemblance between the two in other 

 points, that often, dried specimens in flower are hardly distinguishable. 



According to Fries it is universally distributed throughout Scandinavia, 

 and it is the only British rose tbat reaches Lapland, whilst tomentosa is 

 confined to the south west, and in Scandinavia proper is almost restricted 

 to Gothland. Scandinavian specimens from Swartz in Mr. Eobertson's 

 collection, and from Hartmann in Mr. Watson's, seem to coincide with 

 our plant, except that Swartz has confused it with tomentosa. In the North 

 of England it comes next to canina and to?«^»iosa in order of frequency 



