166 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



^ 



[March 16, 1912. 



and Western China, where it grows at an eleva- 

 tion of from 4,000 feet to 6,000 feet. The habit 

 of this species and the ornamental evergreen 

 leaves make it of considerable value for training 

 up pillars, arches and pergolas. This species has 

 also been distributed as R. flagelliflorus. 



R. floscttlosus, Focke. — This is one of the 

 Chinese Raspberries, and forms an erect bush 

 some 7 feet in height. The stems are dark- 

 brown, and armed with stiff prickles i inch in 

 length. The leaves are pinnate, silvery-white 

 beneath, composed of five leaflets, the terminal 

 one being the largest. The panicles of about a 

 dozen small flowers appear in September, and 

 are followed by small, dark-red fruits. Seeds of 

 this species were collected by Mr. Wilson in 

 Central and Western China at 4,000 feet to 

 6,C00 feet elevation. 



R. 



-This 



ichangensis, Hemsl. and Kuntze.- 

 Brambte has long, slender shoots, 4 feet to 

 5 feet in length, and furnished with a few 

 Bmall prickles. The leaves are evergreen, simple, 

 broadly -lanceolate, cordate at the base, the 

 older leaves being inclined to be three-lobed, 

 3 inches to 4 inches long, 2 inches to 3 inches 

 wide, light green both above and below. The 

 tiny flowers appear in small panicles, and they 

 are succeeded by small, red fruits, which Mr. 

 Wilson describes as of good flavour. The species 

 grows up to 7,000 feet elevation in Central and 

 Western China. 



^ R. innominatus, S. Moore. — In appearance 

 tms species resembles a Raspberry, having strong 

 upright stems 6 feet to 8 feet in height. These 

 are clothed with a velvety pubescence, and a 

 few scattered spines. The pinnate leaves are 

 composed of three or five ovate leaflets, the ter- 

 minal leaflet being occasionally tri-lobate, 

 and more than double the size of the lateral 

 ones. The leaves are rich green above, clothed 

 beneath with a greyish- white velvety pubescence, 

 and thickly covered with glands. Several leaves 

 measured at Kew were 9 inches in length. The 

 numerous small pink blossoms are borne in large 

 panicles daring September. The fruits are 

 orange-red and agreeable in flavour. R. in- 

 nominatus is a native of Central and Western 

 China, and is figured in the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle, for October 21, 1905, R. Kuntzeanus, 

 Hemsl., has been considered synonymous with 

 R. innominatus, but the latter is readily distin- 

 guished by the glands, R. Kuntzeanus being 

 glandless. 



R. IBEX 



and 



Focke. 



-This is a very distinct 

 attractive species, with slender, creeping 

 stems, 6 feet or more in length, and thickly 



clothed with very small spines, each about 

 l-20th 



inch in length. 



spines, 



The leaves are ever- 

 green, roundish in shape, 5 inches to 6 inches in 

 length, and the same in width. Their upper sur- 

 faces are shining, metallic green, the lower sur- 

 faces are covered with a silvery-white tomentum, 

 interspersed with prominent yellow veins. The 



k,f and free S r <>wth of this species in half- 

 shady positions suggests that it will prove a 

 valuable subject to use for covering sloping banks 

 and similar damp positions, for which the Ivy 

 is now largely grown. Mr. A. Henry and Mr. 

 W llson both record finding this species in Central 



and Western China at 4,000 feet to 8,000 feet 

 elevation. 



R. Lambertianus, Ser. (see fig. 69).— There 

 are two forms of this Rubus growing in China, 

 one having red the other yellow fruits. Mr. 

 Wilson describes it as a common plant, growing 

 up to 3,000 feet elevation. The shoots are long 

 and slender, reaching a height of 10 feet to 12 

 feet. The square stems are furnished with a few 

 hooked spines. The leaves are evergreen, simple, 

 five-lobed, vivid green, glabrous above, light- 

 green and slightly hairy beneath, 3 inches to 

 4 inches in length, and the same in width. 



R. lasiostylus, Focke.— If all the plants 

 growing under this name are correct this is a 

 particularly variable species. One form (No. 



loO) has r\ar+.ipnloi.l« „*«,,4. — Z~ «, ,4.1 i 



very spiny stems, which are 12 feet in height 

 and 4g inches in circumference at the base. The 

 leaves are pinnate, usually consisting of three 

 large leaflets. The plant numbered 279 is quite 

 distinct from the foregoing, which, according to 

 Plantce Wilsoniance, is R. lasiostylus var. dizy- 

 gos, Focke. The stems (see fig. 70) are blue-white, 

 freely clothed with prickles, and the plants at Kew 

 are not so vigorous in growth as in the other 

 form. The smaller leaflets, which are usually 

 in fives, and the white stems give the plant a 

 more elegant appearance than the type, though 

 the thick prickly stems of No. 188 give it a 

 particularly striking appearance. A conspicuous 

 character is the silvery-white colour of the under- 

 surface of the leaflets. The flowers are magenta- 



panicle. The dull, black fruits are of medium 

 size. R. niveus is abundant in Central and 

 Western China at 3,000 feet to 8,000 feet eleva- 

 tion. 



R. Parkebi, Hance (see fig. 69).— A slender- 

 growing and very distinct Rubus, having long, 

 scandent stems, 5, 6 or even more feet ia 

 length. The bark is clothed with a dense pubes- 

 cence, and freely armed with short, curved 

 spines. The leaves are evergreen, short-stalked 

 simple, broadly-lanceolate, inclined to be lobed' 

 4-5 inches long and 2-2^ inches wide. The 

 upper surface is dark-green, the under sid* 

 lighter, and clothed with a velvety pubescence. 

 The fruits are black. This Rubus is named in 

 complement to Mr. E. H. Parker, who first dis- 



Fig. 69— CHINESE BRAMBLES. 



[Photograph by C. P RaflM 



TO RIGHT t RUBUS LAMBERTIANUS, R. SWINHOII, R. CHROOSEPALUS, 



R. PLAYFAIRII, R. PARKERI. 



red, followed by curious white, woolly fruits, 

 which are useless for eating, though sweet to the 

 palate. R. lasiostylus is an old species, being 

 described in the Journal of Botany for 1875. 



R. niveus, Thunb.— This is one of the 

 strongest-growing Brambles received at Kew 

 from China. The stout stems are 3 inches in 

 circumference at the base, and reach a height 

 of 12 feet, arching gracefully at the ends. They 

 are thickly clothed with numerous small spines, 

 and covered with stiff, brown hairs. The pin- 

 nate leaves consist of three large leaflets. The 

 small, white flowers are terminal and axillary, 

 often as many as 30 being developed in a single 



covered it in 1881. Mr. Wilson collected seeds 

 in the neighbourhood of Ichang. 



R. Playfairii, Hemsley (see figs. 68 and 69). 

 A slender-growing evergreen Bramble, the foliage 

 of this species is very distinct. The thin, 

 wire-like stems and petioles in a young state are 

 clothed with a felt-like down. In one season 

 the young growths attain a length of 7-8 fee • 

 The leaves usually consist of three leaflets, occa- 

 sionally five. The two lateral leaflets are deepi 

 lobed, and at first sight suggest another pair o 

 leaflets. Leaflets lanceolate, terminal one larg 

 than laterals, 6-7 inches in length, 1* 1D 

 broad. The panicles of flowers are followed dj 



