12. R. DISCOLOR. 105 



belong with almost equal certainty to B. thrysoideus : and 

 the last is, I think, certainly a form of R. discolor, but we 

 may be permitted to doubt concerning its identity with the 

 A*, argenteus (W. and N.). 



/? j)?/6e5cens (Garkc?); caule angulato sellato-sericeo 

 laxe adpressi-piloso, aculeis tenuibus e basi dilatata 

 oblonga depressa vix compressa subito patentibus de- 

 flexisve. 



R. discolor 13 2mhesce7isG3irkeFl. v. Deutschl. ed. 7. 121? 

 Metschl. c. 152? 



A'. 2)ul^6sce7is Wirtg. ! Rub. E-henan. No 1 3, 



A. hracliyphyllos Miill. ! in Wirtg. Rub, Rhenan. No. 

 128. 



Stem angular with flat sides or slightly hollowed on the 

 autumnal shoots, striate, bearing many rather adpressed 

 hairs as we]l as much stellate down. Prickles many, 

 straight or decurved, often small, from an oval rather de- 

 pressed base. Leaflets pilose above, hairy and with dense 

 grey felt beneath ; variable in form but usually all cuspidate 

 and narrowed gradually from much above their middle to 

 their base (but sometimes upon the same bush they are 

 oblong-obovate), unequally or even doubly serrate. 



Flowering shoot with smaller prickles and rather densely 

 and patently hairy. Panicle like that of the typical plant, 

 but usually much longer and therefore relatively narrower, 

 scarcely wider at its base where there are a few axiHary 

 branches than near to its top (not pyramidal, as it is called by 

 Dr Metsch) ; rachis usually having a few often rather many 

 short setae. Dr Metsch says that the German plant has none. 



This plant approaches closely to A. leucostachys. It 

 seems to be connected with the typical A. discolor by the 

 var. argenteus of Lcighton. Some remarks will be found 

 under li. leucostachys. 



