Jlubus.] ICOSANDRIA — POLYGYNIA. 203 



leaflets white and very downy beneath, footstalks channelled, 

 sterns nearly erect downy prickly, flowers drooping, petals as 

 sliort as the calyx. E. Bot. t. 2-t43. E. Fl. v. ii. p. 407. 



Woods, especially in tlie north. Fl. ISIay, June. Tj . — 5/e?«5 woody. 

 Leaflets somewhat cut and serrated. Fruit scarlet in a wild stale. 



** Leaves digitate or pedate. 



1. Ste7n (^inostly^ biennial, icoody. 



a. nearly erect, 7iot rooting. 



2. R. suberecti/s, And. {upright Bramble) ; stem nearly erect 

 not rooting obsoletely anguh-ir, prickles uniform few small, leaves 

 digitate quinate, leaflets flexible, lower pair sessile or nearly so, 

 panicle nearly simple. And. in Tr. of Linn. Soc. v. :xl p. 218. 

 t. 16. E. Bot. t. 2572. E. Fl. v. ii. p. 406. 



Somewhat bogg:y heaths, sides of streams, &c. cliiefly in mountainous 

 districts in the north. Near Tunbridjre Wells. By the large bog near 

 Stokes Bay, Ham])shire. Fl. June, Aug. Tp . 



3. R.plicdlus, ^y. and N. (plaited- leaved Bramble) ; stem not 

 rooting nearly erect obsoletely angular smooth with small some- 

 what curved uniform prickles, leaves digitate of 3 stalked cor- 

 dato-ovate pointed plicate leaflets paler green beneath, panicle 

 prickly nearly simple corymbose, calyx slightly reflexed. Borr. 

 in E. Bot. Sttppl. t. 27'U.—R. suberectus, /3. Borr. in Hook. 

 Br. Fl. ed. 3, p. 246.— B. nitidus, Sm. E. FL v. ii. p. 404. 



Forest districts of Sussex, in heathy and somewliat boggy places, chiefly 

 on the banks of streams, not rare. Mr Borrer. Fl. June— Aug. Tj . 



b. Stem arched or prostrate, rooting. 



a. Prickles nearly uniform, confined to the angles of the stem. 



4. R. carpi nifolius, W. and N. {hornbeam -leaved Bramble) ; 

 stem decumbent or arched obsoletely angular and furrowed 

 hairy, prickles uniform deflexed curved, leaves digitate of 5 

 stalked ovate acuminate plicate leaflets pale beneath, panicle corn- 

 preceding (3d) ed. of this work, p. 243, &c. This able Botanist distinguishes 

 10 species of the fniticose or Bramble tribe. No less tlian 4H supposeil species 

 are described and figured in the elaborate " i?»6/ Gennanici" of Weihe and 

 Esenbeck, nearly aif of which are ))robably found in Biitain. Ur Lindley 

 reckons 18 kinds: but his remarks on the dubious character of these pLmts 

 deserve to be quoted, as they are the words of one who has made tliis Genus, 

 and the whole family to which it belongs, the object of liis peculiar study. " 1 

 am bound to declare, he says ( Si/n. of Br. FL p. 91.) that 1 can come to no 

 other conclusion than that"with"which I first started, namely that we have to 

 choose between considering R. suberectus, fmticosus, corylijblius, and coesius, as 

 the only genuine British species, or adopting in a great measure the characlers of 

 the learned German Botanists above mentioned, who have so much distinguish- 

 ed themselves in the elaboration of the Genus. So clear is my opinion upon 

 this point, that, if it had been possible to prove the four species to wliich 1 have 

 alluded to be themselves physiologically distinct, 1 should at once have reduced 

 all the others to their origin'al places ; but as it is in the highest degree uncer- 

 tain whether B. frudcosus, conjli/'olius, and casius are not as much varieties of 

 each other, as those it would be necessary to reject, I have thought it better to 

 steer a middle course, until soiiie proof shall have been obtained, either one way 

 or the other.' 



