Mr. C. C. Babington on the British RuLi. &3 



As an illustration — R. Salteri found originally in the Isle of 

 Wight was noticed by me at Llanberis in North Wales, in the 

 summer of 1847; — R. Borrcri has occurred in several new loca- 

 lities ; — R. Babingtonii grows in Shropshire and Caernarvonshire. 



The only plant, amongst those now first published, which I 

 have been unable to refer to any described species, exists as scat- 

 tered but very numerous individuals throughout a district of 

 several miles in extent. 



I am far from claiming for those plants which I call species or 

 varieties respectively an absolute right to that rank, and that 

 only ; but merely place them in such a position as the informa- 

 tion at my command leads me to think their proper rank and 

 position. The time will doubtless come when botanists will be 

 in possession of sufficient knowledge of Rubi to group them into 

 real, not supposed species ; but it is only by the careful and long- 

 continued study of forms that such knowledge can be obtained. 

 The definition of forms is the first step, the combination will be 

 the second. Cultivation from seed is one of the most valuable 

 modes of obtaining a true knowledge of these plants. This has 

 now been done to some extent by persons well-acquainted with 

 the described plants, and several others are about to undertake it ; 

 such experiments conducted by others are of little value. 



4*. R. affinis (W. & N.); caule suberecto arcuatove anguloso gla- 

 briusculo, aculeis validis paululum deflexis declinatisve,/o^7s qui- 

 natis utrinque viridibus subtus sericeo-pubescentibus basi planis 

 apicem versus subundulatis grosse crenato-cuspidato-serratis, foliolo 

 terminali cordato vel cordato-ovato cuspidato infimis petiolatis, 

 paniculce composite foliosae superne tomentosce ramis cymosis erect o- 

 patentibus aculeis infra deflexis, sepalis a fructu reflexis longe acu- 

 minatis. 



R. affinis, Rub. Germ. 18. t. 3 ; Arrh. Rub. Suec. 25 ; Fries, Summa 

 Veg. Scand. 165; Lees in Steele Handb. Bot. 58?; Leight. in 

 Phytol. iii. 73, not Fl. Shrop. 226. 



Stems mostly suberect, sometimes elongated and arching, 

 angular or even furrowed, purple, with or without a few hairs. 

 Prickles confined to the angles of the stem, large, strong, a little 

 deflexed or declining, from a dilated compressed purple base, 

 tip yellow, or wholly yellow. Leaves digitate-quinate, thin, dull 

 green and distantly pilose above, rather paler tomentose and with 

 silky pubescence beneath ; midrib beneath with a few short stout 

 hooked prickles becoming longer and generally more hooked on 

 the petioles. Terminal leaflet cordate, cordate-ovate, or cordate- 

 orbicular. Lower pair of leaflets slightly overlapping the inter- 

 mediate pair. 



Flowering shoot surrounded at its base by scales which are 

 Ann. % Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. ii. 3 



