62 5. R. PLICATUS. 



lower 4 flowers), and the racliis bears many strong com- 

 pressed hooked prickles (a few of which arms may also be 

 found on the branches), such as ought to be found on R. ni- 

 tidus according to the text of the Rubi Germanici, although 

 the plate does not represent them. If these two forms of 

 inflorescence really belonged to the same plant, and I have 

 every reason to have confidence in Mr Bloxam's accuracy, 

 then the character supposed by most continental botanists 

 to be aff'orded by the inflorescence and its arms fails. Indeed 

 I think that I can trace all the connecting links between the 

 perfectly simple and almost unarmed raceme of the true R. 

 2)licatus and the very strongly armed inflorescence with de- 

 cidedly hooked prickles of a plant from Bantry which 

 greatly resembles R. montanus (Wirtg.), and which also 

 bears very nearly a simple raceme; and also to the plants 

 with panicles which bear strong hooked prickles belonging, 

 I have little doubt, to the R. nitidus (W. and N.). 



The R. nitidus of Smith, as shown by sjiecimens gathered 

 by Mr Borrer " from the same plant as those sent to Sir J. 

 E. Smith," is R. ijlicatus, bearing a few strong hooked 

 |)rickles on its inflorescence, but in other respects typical of 

 that species. 



The R. plicatus sent to Borrer by Mertens is our plant ; 

 the R. nitidus from the same botanist is also our R. jMccdus. 



I have carefully studied the descriptions given by conti- 

 nental botanists who distinguish R. plicatus from R. nitidus 

 without discovering any constant distinctive character, and 

 am therefore confirmed in my opinion that they ought not 

 to be separated as species. In taking this view of them I 

 am glad to find myself in accord with Arrhenius (^Mon. 25). 



It is deserving of remark that the specimen of it. nitidus," 

 published by Weihe in Reichenh. Fl. Germ, exsic. (No. 783), 

 has, in my copy, two pieces of stem and two leaves : one 

 with stellate hairs on the stem, and a cordate-ovate-acumi- 



