165 



each internode, decreasing in number and becoming scattered 

 below, those of the secondary branches and pedicels smaller, 

 similar in form and direction, tolerably numerous and scat- 

 tered, with a few dark purple stipitate glands interspersed ; 

 sepals clothed on both sides with dense white tomentum, 

 ovate, cuspidate, reflexed, with a stray gland or two, and a 

 weak prickle or so at the base ; petals ; fruit black. 



This variety comprehends the plants from Crowmerle, near Shrews- 

 bury, included in R. rhamnifolius, second form, Fl. Shropsh. 228, and 

 mentioned under R. cordifolius, Obs. 2, in Bab. Syn., and of which 

 Esenbeck writes (in lit.) " R. rhamnifolius, W. fy N., se rapproche 

 du R. cordifolius etant une variete de notre espece que je tiens pour 

 bonne espece. Aculei in vestris magis recti sunt, in nostratibus tan- 

 lillum recurvi." 



For the facility of comparison I subjoin the following brief distinc- 

 tive characters of the four varieties above described. 



a. sublustris. — Stem round, green ; prickles slender, straight ; 

 leaves coriaceous, terminal one on long stalk, rotundato-cordate, 

 coarsely crenato-cuspidato-serrated, whitish, tomentose, velvety be- 

 neath ; flowering stem straightish, loose, cymose ; prickles of rachis 

 few, slender, declinate ; secondary branches nearly without prickles. 



/3. Stem subangular, green ; prickles strong, straight, 



slightly decurved towards the points ; leaves coriaceous, terminal one 

 on short stalk, cordato-ovate, sharply less coarsely crenato-cuspidato- 

 serrated, whitish, tomentose, woolly beneath ; flowering stem straight- 

 ish with a dense terminal cyme ; prickles of rachis few, stout, decli- 

 nate ; cymose extremity nearly without prickles. 



y. Smithii ? — Stem angular, dark purple ; prickles strong, hori- 

 zontal ; leaves sub-coriaceous, terminal one on moderately long stalk, 

 rotundato-ovate, finely crenato-cuspidato-serrated, whitish tomentose, 

 soft, not velvety beneath, lowermost dilated in lower half; flowering 

 stem zigzag, with dense, terminal cyme ; prickles of rachis numerous, 

 long, slender, declinate ; cymose extremity prickly and glandular. 



£ intermedia. — Stem angular, dark purple ; prickles strong, hori- 

 zontal ; leaves thin, terminal one on moderately long stalk, rotunda- 

 to-cordato-ovate, coarsely crenato-cuspidato-serrated, pale green, 

 hairy, soft beneath, lowermost dilated in lower half; flowering stem 

 zigzag, lower branches elongated and spreading, with loose terminal 

 cyme ; prickles of rachis numerous, strong, horizontal or declinate ; 

 cymose extremity prickly and glandular. 



The distinguishing marks of this species appear to be the sessile 

 Vol. hi. 2 a 



