114 14. R. LEUCOSTACHYS. 



R. vestitus y argenteus Lees in Steele, 57. 



R. argenteus Bab. ! Prim. Fl. Sarn. 31. 



R. cons2ncuics Miill. ! ia Wirtg. Herb. E,ub. No. 133. 

 (sp.). 



Stem arching slightly at the base, afterwards prostrate, 

 unless supported round below, angular upwards, covered 

 with loose spreading mostly clustered hairs and stellate 

 down; rarely there is an aciculus or seta. Prickles many, 

 straight, slender, patent or very slightly declining, a little 

 compressed, from a dilated compressed base. Leaves quinate, 

 slightly pedate. Leaflets flat, dark green, and slightly pilose 

 above, greyish or yellowish white soft shining hairy and 

 felted beneath, unequally and rather lobate-serrate, some- 

 times wavy at the edge; lower very shortly stalked, obo- 

 vate; intermediate and terminal obovate ovate or roundish 

 cuspidate; terminal usually cordate at the base; petioles 

 flat above, and as well as the midribs with rather strong 

 hooked prickles beneath ; stipules linear-lanceolate. 



Flovjeriiig shoot from greenish scales, hairy, with many 

 long straight slender long-based declining prickles, of 

 which those near the base of the shoot are very small ; a few 

 short setae. The prickles are sometimes neither truly de- 

 flexed nor declining, but bend downwards at an angle at a 

 little below their middle. 'Leaves ternate. Leaflets oblong, 

 pale green beneath; uppermost floral leaves often simple, 

 broad, cordate at the base, three-lobed. Panicle long, nar- 

 row, hairy, felted, setose, aciculate; axillary branches few, 

 short, few-flowered, corymbose, ascending, distant; ultra- 

 axillary part usually long, often dense, with very short pa- 

 tent corymbose branches; prickles slender, declining, those 

 on the peduncles sometimes deflexed. Sejxds ovate, acumi- 

 nate, hairy, felted, with purple setae and aciculi, reflexed; 

 point long, linear. Petals distant, oval, rather acute, tooth- 

 ed, pinkish. Filaments nearly white. Styles gi-eenish. 



