41. R. ALTHiEIFOLIUS. 275 



Stem prostrate, roiiiid at tlie base, soon becoming bluntly 

 angular, sometimes furrowed near the end, often nearly 

 glabrous or with a few scattered hairs and very short deci- 

 duous sette, green with a glaucous bloom or purplish. 

 Prickles slender, many, unequal, almost setaceous near the 

 base of the stem, slightly deflexed on the autumnal shoots, 

 elsewhere conical, patent, springing from an oblong cushion- 

 like base. Leaves quinate or ternate. Leaflets thin, flat, 

 rugose, crenate-lobate-serrate, green on both sides, slightly 

 pilose above, rather paler and slightly hairy on the veins 

 beneath, or rarely densely hairy and felted; basal oblong, 

 sessile, or extremely shortly stalked; intermediate obovate- 

 acuminate, unequal-sided below; terminal broadly obovate- 

 acuminate, often cordate at the base; or the basal and in- 

 termediate of each side combined into one deeply bilobed 

 leaflet ; the terminal leaflet of the quinate leaves is some- 

 times although rarely deeply lobed at the base ; petioles 

 (which are furrowed above) and midribs with strong large- 

 based deflexed prickles beneath ; stipules lanceolate or 

 narrow. 



Flowering shoot from fuscous scales, slightly wavy, 

 slightly hairy, or with a fine coat of felt, a few minute 

 aciculi and seta?. Prickles small, deflexed from a long base. 

 Leaves ternate. Leaflets narrov/ed to the base ; basal very 

 unequal-sided ; terminal broadly oval, acuminate, with a 

 cordate base. Panicle rather long, open, with longish axil- 

 lary racemose-corymbose branches, one or two of which are 

 often very long and leafy and form secondary panicles ; top 

 formed of clusters of nearly simple peduncles in iiTegidar 

 corymbs ; rachis and peduncles felted, setose, often haiiy, 

 with short slender declining prickles. Sepals greenish, 

 broadly ovate-acuminate, with a slender (usually very short) 

 point, felted, setose, rarely slightly aciculate, clasping the 

 blue-black fruit. Petals contiguous, broad, wavy, usually 



