Suhm,'} U. EOSAOEJE. (J. D. Hooker.) 327 



conical or cylindric receptacle. Seed pendulous, — Disteib. Abundant in the 

 northern hemisphere, rare in the southern ; species 100. 



A genus of which the western European species are notoriously difficult of discri- 

 mination, as are some of the Himalayan. 



Series 1. Leaves simple, undivided or lohed. 



* Herhs with creeping or prostrate stems. 



1. R. calycinus, Wall, in Bon Prodr. 235 ; Cat. 737 ; eglandular, stem 

 and petioles hirsute and prickly, leaves orbidular-reniform obscurely lohed toothed 

 hairy above glabrous beneath except on the prickly nerves, flowers axillary, ca- 

 lyx densely prickly, lobes deeply toothed. ^.\oha.Um,Wall. M88. Dalibarda 

 calycina, DC. Prodr. ii. 568. 



Central and Eastern temperate Himalaya ; Nipal, Wallich. Sikkim alt. 6-9000 

 ft. Bhotan alt. 8500 ft. Khasia Mts. alt. 4-5000 ft. 



Almost black when dry ; prickles slender, slightly curved on stem and petioles. 

 Stem creeping for 1-3 ft. Lecmes 1-3 in. diam., sometimes hairy beneath ; petiole 

 2-4 in. ; stipules |-^ in., broadly ovate, serrate. Flowers 1 in. diam,, solitary or twin, 

 usually on erect -1-2-leaved shoots. Galyx-tvbe densely clothed with long straight 

 prickles ; lobes foliaceous, broad. Petals shorter than the calyx-lobes, erect in fruit. 

 Fruit globose of few large scarlet fleshy carpels ; stone rugose. — Very near a Philip- 

 pine Island species which has stipules cut into narrow lobes and smaller flowers. 



** Shrubs, erect sarmentose or climbing. 



+ Leaves ohlong, entire (obscurely lohulated in R. assamensis) ; stipules pecti- 

 nate (except in R. acuminatus and Griffithii). Carpels few, 6-12. 



2. Xb, acuminatus, Sm. in Pees Cyclop, xxx. Subus 43 -, eglandular, 

 quite glabrous, prickles very few scattered curved, leaves ovate or lanceolate 

 caudate-acuminate doubly serrate, flowers small corymbose long pedicelled, 

 corymbs axillary 'and in elongated terminal panicles, bracts setaceous glandular, 

 calyx-lobes ovate glabrous with pubescent margins, carpels about 8. Wall. 

 Cat. 726. R. oxyphyllus. Wall. Cat. 7110. R. betulinus, Bon Prodr. 283. 

 R. triflorus. Ham. MSS. 



Central and Eastern temperate Himalaya from Kumaon, BUnkworth, and Nepai. 

 to SncKiM, alt. 4-7000 ft. Khasia Mts. alt. 4-5000 ft. 



Scandent. Branches long, arching, cylindric ; prickles very small, flattened, 

 rarely on the petioles. Leaves 3-5 in., rather membranous ; base rounded ; nerves 

 6-8 pair ; petiole slender, ^-f in. ; stipules slender, almost setaceous, glandular. Fa- 

 nicles sometimes a foot long ; bracts small. Flowers ^ in. diam., in threes or fives ; 

 pedicels \-^ in. Calffx-lobes with recurved or hooked sometimes dorsal tips, erect in 

 fruit. Petals much shorter than the calyx, white. Carpels glabrous. Fruit of large 

 globose scarlet drupes enclosed by the calyx, receptacle villous, stone rugose. 



3. B.. Griffitbii, Sooh. f. ; eglandular, branches and leaves glabrous, 

 prickles few scattered curved, leaves oblong-lanceolate caudate acuminate doubly 

 serrate, panicles axillary and terminal elongate, flowers ' sessile scattered or 

 crowded, bracts linear-oblong serrate, calyx hoary with appressed down. 



Eastern Himalaya ; Sikkim, Herb. Griffith. 



Very similar to E. acwminatus in foliage, but with very short petioles, a totally 

 different inflorescence, the flowers never in corymbs or fascicles, a densely tomentose 

 calyx, and linear serrated bracts. — I have seen but one specimen, which is in bud 

 only. Possibly the locality is erroneous, as Griffiths' collections were in great con- 

 fusion and it was often difficult to decipher the localities. 



4. It. liexa^ynus, Poxb. Hort. Beng. 39 ; Fl. Ind. ii. 516 ; eglandular. 



