222 32. R. DIVERSIFOLIUS. 



Our R. diversifolius, in its more prickly state, agrees very 

 fairly with the plate in the Ruhi Germ., and in its least 

 armed state with the specimen published by Billot {Fl. 

 Gal. et Germ. No. 2451), and in a rather intermediate con- 

 dition with those named R. Schleicheri for Leighton by Nees. 

 Leighton describes the prickles as " scattered, very unequal, 

 diminishing insensibly into setae, straight and horizontal or 

 slightly recurved," by which latter word he seems to mean 

 " declining," Avhich is compatible with absolute straightness. 



From all this it will be seen how difficult it is to deter- 

 mine to what plant the name R. Sddeicheri belongs. Weihe 

 is its original author, and we may conclude with almost 

 certainty that his plant is not our R. diversi/olius nor the 

 R. Schleicheri of Nees v. Esenbech. It is only by supposing 

 that certain plates in the Ruhi Germanici were prepared 

 under the superintendence of one of the authors of that 

 great work and the descriptions written by the other, that 

 we can account for the differences which exist between 

 them. In the pi-esent instance Weihe (v/ho certainly ought 

 to be followed in this case) seems to have named specimens 

 in accordance with the description, and Nees from their 

 agreement with the plate. And the difficulty is increased 

 by all authors having quoted the plate as representing their 

 plant, which we now see to be an impossibility. Dr Metsch 

 remarks that R. Schleicheri as understood by him, and as 

 intended (I believe) by Weihe, is distinguished from all 

 others knoAvn to him by its " ternate green leaves, numerous 

 strong much hooked prickles which have conspicuously 

 thickened bases, which give a peculiar tubercular (hocheriges) 

 appearance to the stem." It is difficult to tell exactly what 

 is intended by this phrase, but I think that he had a struc- 

 ture like that of the Radulce in view. 



R. horridus (Hartm., Arrh.), of which I possess two Os- 

 trogothic specimens, very much resembles R. diversi/olius ; 



