8. R SUBERECTUS. 51 



7?. suherectus /3. trifoUatus of Bell Salter is often a very 

 large plant having enormous leaflets, but differs in no essen- 

 tial })oint from the ordinary state of the species. 



The typical form of this ])lant cannot be confounded 

 with any of our other species. It has the liabit of R. 

 IdcBus ; its leaves are often septenate by the separation of 

 two leaflets from the base of the middle leaflet, they are 

 thin, flexible and slightly pilose or quite glabrous; the 

 petioles and rachis bear a few short hooked prickles. The 

 inflorescence is small, of a few solitary axillary flowers, and 

 a small open terminal raceme. The floral leaves have all 

 their leaflets narrowed to the base, not cordate. 



This is certainly the plant of Anderson, although, very 

 probably, some specimens of R. plicatus and R. fissus were 

 included in his idea of the species. He found it "in the 

 wood behind the Devil's Bridge, Cardiganshire;" a densely- 

 shaded spot where R. suherectus is likely to occur, but where 

 the presence of either R. pliccUus or R. fissus is very 

 improbable. 



It may reasonably be doubted if R. suherectics is the 

 R. oiesse/isis of Hall [Trans. R. Soc. Edin. iii. 20). The 

 "full" description spoken of by Anderson, certainly is far 

 from what we now consider such; it is as follows: — "Knbus 

 (Nes8ensis)foliisquinato-digitatis, ternatis, sei)tenisque nudis, 

 caule subinermi, petiolis canaliculatis ; stolonibus erectis 

 biennalibus." He also tells us that the fruit which is of the 

 "colour of the red mulberry, has a peculiar taste." That is 

 all. He found the i)lant "in difl'erent places on the banks 

 and among the w^oods of Loch Ness, where it could not come 

 from the same root." I incline to the opinion that the 

 typical plant w^as what is now called R. fissus, notwith- 

 standing the ai)plicability of parts of the above character to 

 A*, suherectus. The former species is apparently common in 

 the Highlands of Perth and Inverness; the latter is scarce 



