Rubus 



Pliny tells us that the withies of the bramble with 

 the prickles removed were used to make baskets. 

 Nevertheless, in our third passage some may prefer 

 to follow Servius in reading Rubea, and see a refer- 

 ence to willows, but there is no other evidence that 

 the town of Rubi was famous for willows. 



Blackberries, from their likeness to mulberries, 

 were called mora, a name surviving in the French 

 ' m6rs sauvages ' and the Italian ' more del rovo ' 

 and ' more di macchia.' 



Flower, June and July. 

 Italian names, Rogo and Rovo. 



RUMEX. 



' fecundus . . . rumex ' (Mor. 73). 



There are many species of dock, but there can be 

 little doubt that ours is the curled dock (Rumex 

 crispus), which still bears the names of ' romice ' and 

 ' rombice.' It is marked by its waved leaves and its 

 growth in dry places, many of the genus having 

 aquatic habits. The name may also cover the fiddle 

 dock (R. pulcher), which owes its name to the shape 

 of the leaves. In Italy it is the most common kind, 

 but in England is not found north of the Midland 

 counties. 



The epithet refers to the patience which the plant 

 shows on the gathering of its leaves. They grow 

 again with great rapidity, and no plant seems to 



"5 



