CHAP. XLII. ROSA CEA. RU‘BUS. 
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Sect. III. Porenri’Liex. 
Genus IX. 
Lalla 
RU‘BUS L. Tue Bramsre. Lin. Syst. Icosandria Polygynia. 
Tdentification. Lin. Gen., No. 364.; Dec. Prod., 2. p. 556.; Don’s Mill, 2. p. 529. 
Synonymes. Ronce, Framboisier, F’r.; Himbeere, Brombeerstrauch, Ger. 
Derivation. From rub, red in Celtic ; in reference to the colour of the fruit in some of the species. 
Description. Deciduous subligneous shrubs, for the most part prostrate ; 
with prickly stems, and digitate, pinnate, or lobed, leaves; but a few of them 
growing upright. The fruit of all of them is edible. Some of them, such as 
R. fruticOsus, may be considered as sub-evergreen, as they retain the greater 
part of their leaves in a green state through the winter. All the kinds 
popularly called brambles may be considered as gigantic strawberry plants. 
The following excellent technical description is from Dr. Hooker’s British 
Flora; and, though drawn up with a view to the British species, yet, as in 
these are included the raspberry, or upright-growing species, as well as the 
common brambles, it applies equally well to the whole genus. 
“ Shrub-like plants, or herbs, with perennial roots. The herbaceous species 
offer nothing very peculiar. In some species of the shrubs the stem is 
upright, or merely curved at the top; but, in the greater number, it is either 
prostrate, or, as is more generally the case, assurgent, arched, and decurved ; 
and the ends of the shoot, and of the side branches, if it produce any, unless 
prevented by circumstances from reaching the ground, take root in the latter 
part of the year. In the winter the shoot is partially destroyed, the part 
next to the original root surviving, to produce flowering branches during the 
ensuing summer, and usually dying after the fruit has been perfected ; young 
shoots, meanwhile, springing up by its side. The rooted ends also become dis- 
tinct plants, at various distances from the parent root; often many yards. 
This mode of growth adds much to the difficulties in the discrimination of the 
species ; since an acquaintance with both the leafy shoot, and the floriferous 
stem formed in the second year from its remains, is necessary. The best 
characters are found in the figure, the arms, and the leaves of the former. 
The /eaves in all the British species of this division are, occasionally at least, 
quinate; and, with one exception, digitate, or somewhat pedate, from a partial 
junction of the stalks of the two lateral pairs of leaflets ; the margins serrated, 
for the most part unequally and irregularly ; the prickles on the leaf-stalks more 
curved than those on the stem. In some species the inflorescence is remarkable ; 
but, in general, the panicle varies so much as to afford no good distinction. Nor 
can the arms of the calyx, nor the form of its segments, be depended on. The 
petals in all are delicate and crumpled, and, in several species, very considerable 
in size and width. There are some differences in the fruit, but they are 
rarely discriminative. In examining the figure of the leaves, the central 
leaflet is to be regarded : the lateral ones are always smaller, and of a nar- 
rower proportion. In several species, the leaves occasionally survive a mild 
winter, and are found the next season subtending flowering branches. The 
leaves of these branches are of less determinate figure; the number of their 
leaflets is reduced as they approach the inflorescence, and their place is sup- 
plied in the upper part of the panicle by, first trifid, and then simple, bracteas, 
formed by the coalescence of the stipules. These last are usually long and 
narrow, entire, or sometimes toothed and jagged, and issue from the petiole, 
for the most part a little above its base. They afford no distinguishing cha- 
racters. No less than 48 supposed species of the genus are described and 
figured in the elaborate Rubi Germanici of Weihe and Nees von Esenbeck. 
( Borrer, in Hook. Br. Fl., p. 243.) 
