20. R. ^LiCROPHYLLUS. 155 



by tlie peculiar dentition of their leaves, but traces of a 

 similar structure may occasionally be seen in plants of li, 

 inacropliyUus proper. 



The leaflets with a felted underside and also hairs upon 

 the veins of M. umbrosics and M. macrophyllus proper, gene- 

 rally seem very different from those of R. Schlechtendalii 

 (which are usually totally devoid of felt and only bear a 

 quantity of long hairs on the veins); but it sometimes 

 happens that a very thin coat of felt may be seen even 

 upon the latter by using a glass of strong magnifying power. 

 The shape of the terminal leaflet is inconstant : that of R. 

 Schlechtendalii is usually very long and wedgeshaped even 

 to the extent of the lower half or two thirds of its length : 

 in R. macrophyllus it is generally much shorter in propor- 

 tion but always apparently rather broader above than below 

 its middle. The leaves of the latter are frequently not more 

 than ternate, either simply or with lobed lower leaflets. 

 The panicle of R. io7)ibrosus will usually distinguish it from 

 the other forms. It is pretty constantly narrow, long, its 

 upper part leafless through some extent with patent short 

 branches : even the lower branches also are sometimes patent. 

 The other plants have, normally, short subcorymbose panicles 

 of which all the branches ascend. The presence of inter- 

 mediate states of panicle, and diflTerent combinations be- 

 tween them and the form of the leaves, shows that they 

 do not characterise species in the present case. Metsch 

 combines R. umhrosus with R. carpinifolius and R. villi- 

 caulis under the name of R. vulgaris (Weihe). Certainly 

 their panicles are often very much alike; but that, I think, 

 is their chief point of resemblance. 



The R. amplificatus is well marked by the very strong 

 prickles ui)on its panicle, which is long with many distant 

 mostly axillary branches, and of these the lower are often 

 very long. The plant from Great Cowleigh Park, called 



