139 



A ROUND-LEAVED RED RASPBERRY 



By William H. BLA^XHARD 



Our red raspberry (^Rtibiis strigosiis j\Iichx.) is somewhat varia- 

 ble, though probably much less so than the rather closely related 

 R. Idaeiis L. of the Old World. A careful study of the varia- 

 tions of our species would be very interesting and is in fact much 

 needed. Until quite recently no variation had been noticed which 

 seemed to merit separation as a species or a variety, though it is 

 possible that some had been found to which names as forms might 

 have been given with advantage, thus stimulating more careful 

 observation and record. 



But, on June 9, 1900, Mr. W. W. Eggleston, then living 

 in Rutland, Vermont, found a remarkable plant in Cavendish, 

 Vt., on the Black River near the Ludlow line. It was described 

 by Mr. M. L. Fernald, of the Gray Herbarium, to which it was 

 sent, in Rhodora 2 : 195-200, and to his very interesting discus- 

 sion attention is now called as well as to the full-page illustration 

 drawn by Mr. C. E. Faxon, which prefaces the article. 



Li this article Mr. Fernald makes R. strigosiis a variety of R. 

 Idacus, and our American red raspberry by his disposition 

 becomes R. Idaeiis L. van strigosiis (Michx.) Fernald. It is not 

 very probable that many American botanists will accept this 

 rearrangement, though it must be admitted that some of the 

 herbarium material from northern Europe and Siberia appears to 

 be much like some that is found in America. He calls Mr. 

 Eggleston's plant R. Idaeus var. anomahis Arrhenius {R. Leesii 

 Babbington), an interesting round-leaved dwarf form of Europe 

 which it resembles in some respects, especially in the shape of its 

 leaves. But they are manifestly not the same, being quite as differ- 

 ent as R. Idaeiis and R. strigosiis, and there is as much occasion for 

 giving them distinguishing names. The European dwarf has the 

 distinguishing characters of R. Idaeus while the Cavendish plant 

 has those of R. strigosiis. Mr. Eggleston's plant is very slender 

 and delicate ; the bark on old canes is of reddish straw-color and 

 has a few short, rather strong prickles ; the small and slender 



