362 



R. plicatus, Smith, Eng. Flor. ii. 401 (certainly not plica- 

 tus of W. & N.) R. leucostachys, Lindl. Syn. 2nd ed. p. 95 ; 

 also of Leighton, Flor. Shrops. p. 230, and Lees in Steele's 

 Hand-Book of Field Botany, p. 57 (but not leucostachys of 

 Smith). R. nitidus, Babington, Syn. of Brit. Rub. p. 9, and 

 Leightoii's Fascic. of Shrops. Rubi {not of Rub. Germ, ac- 

 cording to figure and description). 

 Of rather general occurrence in wild spots on the borders of woods, 

 but unequally distributed, and not a? common road-side bramble. In 

 many places in Worcestershire, Devonshire, Middlesex, Bucking- 

 hamshire, and Herefordshire. Shropshire, Rev. W. A. Leighton ! ; 

 Leicestershire, Rev. Andrew Bloxam ! ; and Cheshire, the late Mr. 

 S. E. Wilson ! Most probably in all the southern and midland 

 counties. Abundantly near Aberystwith, Cardiganshire. June to 

 end of August. 



This bramble may be known by its singularly crisp, plaited, ellip- 

 tical leaflets, with greyish green pubescence beneath, on very prickly 

 petioles, which become densely prickly just where the leaflets com- 

 mence. The rachis, slightly hairy at the base, becomes densely 

 pilose above among the flowering branches. The panicle consists of 

 numerous compound branches spreading out -nearly at right angles 

 to the rachis, and sometimes even drooping, these are very hairy, 

 thickly armed with pale, declining prickles, and leafy nearly to the 

 summit ; the upper floral leaves being simple, elliptical, and crisped 

 or plaited similarly to the foliage of the stem ; the uppermost 

 branches being often closely and intricately crowded together. The 

 calyces are covered with long hairs, sometimes prickly, and as well 

 as the pedicels have often glands scattered upon them, but concealed 

 to a superficial view in the dense pubescence. Sepals somewhat 

 elongated, with a blunt termination, rather loosely reflex in flower, 

 and frequently much stained with red at the base within. Petals al- 

 most invariably white. Fruit rather small, consisting of many drupes, 

 black. 



The barren stem is stated to be suberect by Mr. Babington, but ac- 

 cording to my observation, and I have marked it carefully, it arches 

 as much as any other, and most certainly I have seen it extending a 

 long distance accumbent on a thicket, and very much branched. In 

 the vicinity of Burnhara Beeches, Bucks, where this form is abundant, 

 I particularly observed it arching and rooting in the usual manner 

 of the tribe this very autumn ; yet no doubt occasional suberect 

 forms mav occur in the shade. The base of the secondary branches 



