27. R. SCABER. 185 



pressed base, of which the longer diameter often equals or 

 even exceeds the length of the prickle, rather many. Aci- 

 culi, setoi and hairs rnther few, very short, with large pro- 

 minent bases, which give a coarse file-like roughness to the old 

 stems. Leaves ternate or quinate. Leaflets all stalked, 

 slightly concave, cuspidate, rather doubly dentate (that is, 

 about every fourth tooth is larger than the rest and patent, 

 or even turned from the tip of the leaf towards which the 

 others slightly incline ; when the toothing is very coarse 

 this arrangement is often much less or scarcely at all ap- 

 parent ; but I have seen a specimen in which the large teeth 

 have so much increased in size as to absorb the other teeth 

 and render the leaves doubly and patently dentate or nearly 

 lobate-dentate ; the tip of each of these large double teeth 

 being hooked backwards), opaque, deep green and pilose 

 above, paler and hairy on the veins beneath, usually very 

 large; basal oblong; intermediate obovate; terminal round- 

 ly obovate : the lateral leaflets of the ternate leaves are 

 almost as large as the terminal leaflet and very strongly lobed 

 on their outer side; petioles which are flattened above, and 

 midribs with many hooked prickles beneath; stipules slender, 

 linear-lanceolate. 



Flowering shoot from silvery scales, hairy, setose, prickly 

 like the stem but less strongly. Leaves ternate. Leaflets 

 resembling those of the stem; basal ovate, unequal-sided; 

 terminal ovate-acuminate, narrowed below ; or all subcordate 

 below; uppermost floral leaves simple, cordate-ovate. Pani- 

 cle long, very hairy and setose and with ash-coloured felt 

 towards the top; prickles small, usually strong, thick-based, 

 declining, the uppermost more slender ; axillary branches 

 racemose, ascending, few-flowered ; ultra- axillary few, corym- 

 bose, few-flowered, or 1 -flowered, patent, usually forming a 

 rather close ovate top. Sepals lanceolate-attenuate, with a 

 narrow leaflike point, haiiy, aciculate, setose, felted, greenish, 



16—3 



