110 18. R. THYRSOIDEUS. 



The R. argentPMS of Mr Lees, from the Cotswokl Hills, 

 is not distinguishable from this species; that gathered by 

 him upon Broadheath in Worcestershire is R discolor. The 

 true R. argenteus of France and Germany is more nearly 

 allied to R. discolor than to R. thyrsoideus, but seems to be 

 distinct from both of them. 



The R. macroacanthus of Mr Bloxam's Fasciculus of 

 Rubi is a form of R. thyrsoideus. It has hairs upon the 

 upper surface of the leaves but differs very slightly in other 

 respects. The following are the points in which the bush 

 raised from seed sent by Mr Bloxam does not exactly agree 

 with the above description of R. thyrsoideus. Stem with 

 short, deflexed prickles. Leaflets sometimes rather imbri- 

 cate, hairy above, deeply dentate-cuspidate; terminal roundly 

 oblong, narrowed at both ends, or obovate-acuminate. 

 Floioering shoot very hairy. Leaves ternate. Lower leaflets 

 very unequal and broad on one side of the base; terminal 

 broadly oblong; all hairy above and hairy and felted beneath; 

 floral leaves often simple and lanceolate. Panicle short, 

 mostly ultra-axillary, racemose. Petals broad, roundish, 

 toothed, pale pink. Styles greenish or very slightly pink at 

 the base. 



Neither this plant nor the similarly named form of R. 

 discolor agrees with the R. macroacanthos of the Rubi 

 Germanici. A plant gathered by Mr H. C. Watson on the 

 Bailway bank at Thames Ditton was named R. macro- 

 acanthus by Mr Bloxam and, considering his use of that name, 

 the determination is perhaps correct notwithstanding the 

 fact of its panicle bearing straight or slightly declining 

 prickles. They seem to be the R. robustus (Miill.); never- 

 theless the R. macroacantJuvLS of Bloxam's Fasciculus is 

 apparently the R. speciosus of that German botanist. The 

 leaves of Mr Watson's specimens are often very coarsely 

 dentate, the panicle loose, and all the prickles enormous. 



