214 81. R. FUSCO-ATEE. 



the anthers may have resulted from age, for I have found 

 that it very frequently changes to a dark tint after the 

 pollen has fallen. The direction of the fruit-sepals seems 

 uncertain, if not variable, in their plant. As our plant 

 accords very accurately with their plate and description in 

 other respects, there is reason to believe in the identity of 

 the species. 



Plants found by Mr Newbould near Sheffield differ 

 slightly from the other specimens. Their stems are less 

 prickly, having the large prickles relatively more con- 

 spicuous. Mr Bloxam's specimens differ amongst them- 

 selves; those published in his Fasciculus have very prickly 

 and nearly glabrous stems, bearing very few aciculi, and still 

 fewer setse ; others kindly sent to me are as setose and aci- 

 culate as those gathered by Mr Mathews of what I consider 

 to be the tyjDical plant. In both of his plants the panicle is 

 shorter, less pyramidal, and more oj^en at the top than in 

 those of Mr Mathews. 



The plant which grows at Henfield is more like the plate 

 in Ruhi Germanici than any other specimens which I have 

 seen; but such is the deciduous tendency of the arms, that 

 the old stems very closely resemble those of the Caesii. 

 Indeed the denuded state is so like R. Balfoiirianus that I 

 am unable to point out any satisfactory character by which 

 to distinguish the plants; although I believe them to be 

 quite distinct. The young and adult stems of R. fusco-ater 

 clearly show that it belongs to the Koelderiani and present 

 no trace of the glaucous bloom which is usually present on 

 those of the Caesii. The aciculi and sets3 on the stems of R, 

 Balfourianus can rarely be called abundant. It is only by 

 a combination of characters, not one of which perhaps is 

 constant, that we can distinguish plants the typical forms of 

 which are as different as any two species of fruticose bramble. 

 This is one of the cases by which we are taught to make 



