22. R. SPRENGELII. 165 



R. Arrhenii Lange! Danske Fl. ed. 2. 347 (1850). 



E. saxatilis Reichenb. ! Fl. Germ, exsic. No. 787 (sp.). 



Stem prostrate, round, slender, angular towards the end, 

 slightly hair J. Prickles many, strongly deflexed, from a 

 large base. Leaves ternate or quiuate-pedate. Leaflets ir- 

 regularly serrate, flexible, bright shining green with a few 

 hairs above, green and pilose on the veins beneath ; all 

 lanceolate or slightly obovate acuminate ; basal of the ter- 

 nate leaves usually strongly lobed below; intermediate of 

 quinate leaves unequal-based ; petioles which are furrowed 

 above and midribs with very few small prickles beneath ; 

 stipules linear-lanceolate. 



Flowering shoot from brown rather silky scales, hairy, 

 with usually few deflexed prickles, all seeming to be 

 radical. Leaves ternate. Leaflets often rather strongly 

 serrate, more hairy on both sides than those of the stem ; 

 basal broadly lanceolate; terminal broadly obovate, acumi- 

 nate. Panicle broad, short, hairy, setose ; lower branches 

 axillary, erect-patent, short, few -flowered ; upper divaricate, 

 often 1 -flowered. Sepals ovate, acuminate, leaf-pointed, 

 hairy, felted, setose, clasping the fruit. Petals distant, 

 obovate, acute, entire, pink. Filaments pinkish. Anthers 

 and styles greenish. Primordial fruit-stalk as long as the 

 sepals. 



There cannot be any doubt that the R. Sprengelii 

 (Weihe) is a small form of the species of which R. Borreri is 

 the type. The species does not present much difficulty to 

 the student when thus considered. It is unfortunate that 

 the law of priority obliges us to adopt the name given to a 

 mere form as that of the species. It is justly remarked by 

 Bonder that the former A*. Sj>rengelii of Arrhenius ! and 

 Fries ! is quite different from that of Weihe. It seems to be 

 R. Tnacrophyllus a umbrosus. 



I do not possess a specimen of the R. rubricolor of 



