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distinguishable varieties—to which, in the constant onward march of botanical 
knowledge, some 6—10 more ought now to be added. And of these 70—80 forms, 
which of course constitute the real staple of our knowledge of British Roses, only 
27—29 have as yet been observed in Herefordshire—that is, considerably less than 
half. Here is proof enough that the botanists of the county have as yet hardly 
earned a right to talk, but ought instead to put on their boots and scatter in every 
direction over Herefordshire woods and hedges and do some more work. However, 
as talking is the order of the day, I now proceed to talk about what has been 
done in the county in the genus Rosa; under the hope that such a review may 
facilitate the accomplishment of what yet remains to be done. 
1. Rosa spinosissima, Z. This Rose is a well known inhabitant of 
sand hills and sea cliffs; inland it is far rarer, and ‘‘ mostly” Mr. Baker says 
‘confined to limestone.” Such being the case, its position and distribution in 
Herefordshire are singular; for it is nowhere found on the limestone, but is 
confined to the neighbourhood of Leominster, on the clay and cornstone of 
District 9. My specimens are contributed by the Rev. Thomas Hutchinson, of 
Kimbolton, from whom my whole knowledge of it as a Herefordshire plant is 
derived. He informs me that it is abundant in his neighbourhood. It re-appears on 
the mountain cliffs of the Llanthony valley, not however within the district of our 
county Flora, but at Taren r’Esgob in Breconshire, where in union with two other 
rare plants Geranium sylvaticum and Hieracium prenanthoides, it occupies a single 
spot upon the cliff. 
2. Rosa involuta, Sm. Var.b. Doniana. Of this plant I can say very 
little. Its occurrence in Herefordshire rests upon the authority of Mr. E. Lees ; 
who in his ‘‘ Malvern Botany” locates it ‘‘near Cradley.” I have no reason to 
doubt this statement ; still I have never seen specimens ; and, in a subject like 
that of Roses, in which our knowledge has advanced so rapidly of late years, 
information of 20 years’ standing is somewhat out of date. I should be ex- 
ceedingly glad of more recent information, and especially of specimens of this Rose. 
We ought to know something about its distribution, and its frequency or rarity, in 
its one chosen home at Cradley. } 
3. Rosa mollissima, Willd. This is a comparatively recent addition 
to our county; and indeed to the west and south-midland counties generally: 
Mr. Baker (the great authority in this genus) had not in 1869 seen it from any 
station further south than Derbyshire and Merioneth. It is however scattered 
in fair abundance over the hilly parts of Herefordshire, so far as I have botanised ; 
but with markedly increasing frequency as a higher level above the sea is reached. 
Possibly it is altogether absent from the Wye Valley. I have it from Districts 1, 
10, 12, 13,14. It is plentiful and well marked upon the Llanthony hills, occupying 
both their valleys and the cliffs of the hill sides. It occurs again in fair plenty in 
my own neighbourhood, in the parishes of Garway, Saint Weonards, and Orcop ; 
being especially frequent upon the poor soils of the latter parish. 
4. Rosa tomentosa, Sm. A glance at the list of Districts will shew 
what a general distribution this Rose has :—1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, — 9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 
14. District 8 is no doubt left out from mere inobservancy. We may say that it 
