KEY TO BRITISH RUBI. 



118 



cylindrical or subpyramidal, with ascending few-flowered branches, 

 some (often a good many) very shortly stalked glands on the hairy 

 (not felted) rachis, and long slender prickles. Sep. broad-based, 

 cuspidate, greyish, with very narrow white margins. Pet. totyv, 

 obovate or broadly elliptic, milk-white. Widely distributed. 



hamnift 







var. In some of the Yorkshire dales occurs in plenty what seems 

 a small var. of this, with Its. more finely toothed^ and wider apart 

 (owing to the great length of their very prickly petiolules), the term. 

 It. more acnminate, and much fewer glands on the pan. -rachis. 



13. R. rhamnifolius W. & N. — St. like that of JR. Dumnonimsis, 

 but almost or quite glabrous, comparatively bright red. Prickles 

 much fewer, declining, broader-based, with long points. L. 5-nate. 

 Lts. more finely toothed, dark green and slightly hairy above, white -felted 

 beneath ; term, with remarkably long petiolule, varying greatly in shape, 



but usually narrower and less abruptly cuspidate than in R. Than- 



noniensis and R. nemoralis. Pan. felted, sometimes with a few sessile 



or all but sessile glands near the rather dense narrow blunt top, 

 with many strong declining or deflexed prickles. Sep. grey. Pet. 



roundish, rather large, white. 



This, the ordinary S. England form, differs somewhat from the 

 typical R. rhamnifoUn* W. & N., as Dr. Focke has pointed out in 

 journ. Bot. 1890, pp. 101, 102, and is near his var. tUnoplos ; but 

 the species, though seldom difficult to recognise, is variable with us. 

 Hedges and wood-borders. 



14. R. nemoralis P. J. Muell. R. carpinifolius Blox. — (In 

 deference to Prof. Babington's opinion, I adopt this name for the 

 aggregate species which has long been known amongst us as R. 

 umbrosns Arrh.) St. of a duller red than in R. rhamnifolius, usually 

 somewhat hairy. L. mostly smaller, somewhat convex, 5-nate or 



(except in var. Lindeberyii) rather frequently 7-nate. Lts. usually 



more shortly stalked, and so closer together, most frequently 

 subrotund-obovate-cuspidate and finely toothed, much hairier and of 

 a duller green (or greyish green) above, green or felted beneath. Pan. 

 usually laxer, longer and narrower, with falcate and declining 

 prickles. Sep. greyish green, with narrow white margin. Pet. 

 white or pink. Chiefly on commons and in other open sunny spots ; 

 but var. puleherrimus also thrives in moderately shady places. 



Dr. Focke has referred to the difficulty often experienced in 

 distinguishing dried specimens of this from R. rhamnifolius. When 

 fresh it wears a very different look, with its much duller colouring 

 in st. and 1., its smaller hairier and blunter Its., and (usually) its 

 longer narrower pan., and stiffer habit. 



a. R. ? dumosus Lefv. (Journ. Bot. 1890, p. 102). — Prickles 

 equal, falcate or declining, from rather large bases. Lts. dull green 

 above, rather velvety or slightly felted beneath ; term, suhrotund or 

 broadly obovate-cmpidate. Pan. usually compound, with slender 

 declining prickles, glandular. Pet. white (or faintly pinkish), of 

 moderate size, broadly obovate. One of the most abundant and 



Journal of Botany.— Vol. 30. [Apkil, 1892,] I 



