368 ON SOME HYBRID BRAMBLES, 
somewhat erect, the pollen-grains nearly all of the same shape and size. 
The flowers and fruits are very ee 
it is not connected with them by 
intermediate forms. All the three plants come true from seeds. 
. gratus is found to occur frequently in the north-western part 
of Germany, and probably will be met with also in the N etherlands, 
Belgium, &c. 2. bifrons grows in Austria, Southern Germany, Swit- 
zerland, and a great part of France. The geographical range of R. 
villicaulis extends over nearly the whole of Germany, the North of 
ce, England, and Southern Scandinavi 
h 
S 
oO 
gratus with the pollen of 2. difrons. The males have strong prickles 
and reflexed sepals like R. bifrons, the under surface of their younger 
leaves is whitish or greyish, in the adult both sides are green and 
hai ered 
whitish than in either parent, and is accurately the same as in the 
typical form of 2. villicaulis. It cannot therefore be doubted that 
by crossing R. gratus and R. ifrons I have obtained a plant indis- 
ingui e from t 
r se fi 
reconcile with the suggestion of the hybridity of this Bramble. On the 
other hand, there is a hypothesis which may explain the facts in another 
way. 
Suppose the three plants are forms of the same species, 2. villi- 
eaulis would be regarded as the type, and the two other races would 
— as well-defined subspecies, Admitting that the hybrids pro- 
d 
return to the original type (viz., R. illicaulis), we find means to explain 
the experimental facts, and at the same time w i 
in the suggestion that a hybrid might have superseded in « consider- 
able part of Europe both its opti i 
view we fall into other difficulties, considering that we never actually 
see a. bility in R. eillicaulis sufficient to explain the formation of 
subspecies as 2. difrons and R. gratus. We find no con- 
_ Becting: Care a eee are do baer 
