81. R. FUSCO-ATER. 213 



edge; basal leaflets oblong, nearly but not quite sessile; 

 intermediate broadly elliptic, shortly stalked ; terminal 

 broadly cordate-ovate or broadly cordate, shortly stalked; 

 petioles (which are flat above) and midribs with strong 

 hooked prickles beneath; stipules linear. 



Flowering sJioot from fuscous scales, very hairy, setose, 

 aciculate, with many slender declining or deflexed prickles. 

 Leaves ternate. Leaflets nearly equal, coarsely and doubly 

 dentate; basal ovate with the outer side gibbous and often 

 lobed; terminal broadly oval, acuminate, narrowed to the 

 base. Panicle long, rather pyramidal ; axillary branches 

 about equalling the leaves, racemose ; ultra-axillary few- 

 flowered, divaricate, sul)corymbose ; racliis and peduncles 

 with many purple unequal aciculi and sette. Sepals ovate, 

 acuminate, felted, hairy, setose, aciculate, elapsing the fruit. 

 Petals obovate, sometimes much narrowed below, pink. 

 Filaments pink. A7ithers yellow. Styles red. Primordial, 

 fndtstalk as long as the sepals ; those of the branches longer 

 than the lateral ones. Nut half-ovate. 



It is nearly certain that our R. fusco-ater is identical 

 with the plant called by that name by Weihe. It is quite 

 distinct from the R. fusco-ater of most British botanists. 

 But we must mention that the authors of the Ruhi Ger- 

 manici state that the prickles of the R. fusco-ater are not 

 much dilated at the base, whereas on our plant the dilatation 

 is often veiy remarkable; that the petals of their plant are 

 broad, and such petals may be found on English examples 

 of this species; that the anthers are "intense purpurea;" 

 and the sepals ''post anthesin reflexis." Should these differ- 

 ences prove to be real, and be thought of sufficient weight to 

 separate the plants, our bramble will require a new name. 

 There is room for doubt concerning the prickles, for I 

 suspect that the artist has not always correctly represented 

 their mode of springing from the stem ; and the colour of 



