204 Bush-Fruits 



live haunts, rather than in the herbarium, he is likely 

 to find them mingling and intermingling, varying and 

 shading, even crossing and recrossing, in the greatest 

 freedom and abandon, in utter disregard for his carefully 

 defined types. 



The cultivated American blackberry is a product of 

 this intermingling of types. So confused is its origin 

 that to attempt to classify varieties with reference to the 

 particular species from which they have sprung is well- 

 nigh impossible, and certainly not worth the while. Even 

 to separate the blackberries from the dewberries is not 

 easy, for they too intermingle to a greater or less extent, 

 passing in easy grades from one to the other. Probably 

 the foundation species for the greater number of varieties 

 is the one now known as Rubus argutus, Link. This is a 

 rather stiff, erect form with very prickly or thorny canes, 

 the thorns extending to the stems and ribs of the leaves; 

 flower-clusters short, usually free from glands. Found 

 from Canada to North Carolina and Iowa. Rubus flor- 

 idus, Tratt., is a taller-growing plant, with decumbent or 

 recurving branches and stout curved prickles. The 

 flower-clusters are loose and leafy, bearing only a few 

 flowers, the fruit being long, with small drupelets. This 

 form occurs from Virginia southward and westward. 

 Rubus frondosus, Bigel., is of medium height with mostly 

 straight prickles; the leaflets are broad and hairy beneath, 

 the flower-clusters short, hairy, with only a few simple 

 leaves or bracts intermingled. Rubus allegheniensis, 

 Porter, is a mountain form of medium height, with moder- 

 ately curved prickles, leaflets glandular-pubescent be- 

 neath, flower-clusters long, glandular-hairy but not 



