DESEGLISE ON CLASSIFICATION OF SPECIES OF HOSA. 5<jy5 



as a character of the first order. This character, besides the difficulty of 

 ascertaining it, is fur from being unexceptionable : and having endeavoured 

 to make use of it myself for a basis of division in this genus, I was obliged 

 to cast it aside as offering nothing sufficiently positive, i. Pimpinellifoli-e. 

 " Ovaria in centre calycis breviter stipitata, stipite dimidium ovarium non 

 attingentc vel subscssilia. Flores solitarii, ehracteati, vel bractea iinica qua 

 e folio ad stipulam, rcducta orta est fulti. Stipidi suhconj'ormis. Trunci juniores 

 aculeatissimi, aculeis gracilibus rectis vel reversis, sed non recurvatis, 

 incequalibus, intermixtis tenuioribus setulosis." Koch, Syn. p. S46. This 

 section comprises five species : — Pi. liitea, Mil., R pinipinelUfolia, L., R. 

 alpina, L., R. rjentilis, Sternb., and R. reversa, W. & K. Ought not these 

 five species rather to form three sections ? ii. CiNNAMo:MEiE. " Ovaria 

 in ceutro calycis, breviter stipitata, stipite dimidio ovario breviore. Flores in 

 apice ramulorum, 3-5, pluresque, corymbosi, omnes, intermedio excepto, 

 bractea fulti ; si flos solitarius ramulum terminat, bractea una alterave 

 cum rudimenta floris secundi vel tertii apparet. Stipulce in ramulis floren- 

 ibus conspicue latiores, quam in sterilibus. Trunci juniores ut in sectione 

 prima." Koch, loc. cit., p. 2 48. This section contains five species : — R. 

 cinnamnmea, L., R. turbinata, Ait., R. ruhrifolia, VilL, R. glandidosa, Bell., 

 and R. spinulifolia, Dem. What analogy can be found in these five species 

 to unite them in the same section ? R. spinulifolia with its glandulose 

 leaves, and R. turbinata wilh prickles mixed with glanduliferous setse, can- 

 not be in their natural place alongside R. glandulosa, Bell., and Pv. rubrifolia, 

 Villars. iii. Ga^'^'ss:. " Ocaria in centro calycis, longe stipitate, stipite ovarium 

 (Bquaute. Flores in apice ramulorum 3-5 pluresve, corymbosi, omnes, in- 

 termedio excepto, bractea fulti. Stipule ut in sectione prascedente, in 

 foliis superioribus ramulorum florentium dilatatcB. Aculei maiores validi." 

 Koch, 1. c. p. 250. This section comprises R. canina, L., R. rubiginosa,'Li. 

 R. tomenyjsa, Smithy R. ciliato-petala, Koch, (non Besser), and Pi. sgstijla, 

 Bast. Nothing can be better than for the Canince to form a separate section ; 

 but what can rubigijiosa have in common with canina ? Is R. sijstgla. Bast., 

 with its united styles, in its true place here ? iv. Ros.e Nobiles. " Ovaria 

 omnia penitus sessilia, stipite destituta. Stipulte conformes, ramulorum 

 florentium vix latiores ; hiuc bractere, e stipulis diminutis aphyllis factae, 

 angustiores." Koch, 1. c. p. 274. This section encloses three species : — 

 R. arvensis, L., R. sempervirens, L., and R. Gallica, L. The two first species 

 by their styles, habit, prickles and leaves, are widely removed from B. 

 Gallica, L. 



