

30S ICOSANDRIA POLYGYNIA 



Obs. The root of this is somewhat astringent; and the infusion is often em- 

 ployed with good effect, as a remedy for diarrhoea, and mild dysentery. Tho ripe 

 berries, also, afford a pleasant jam, which is considered salutary in such cases; 

 and are moreover frequently put in requisition by the jmstry cook, for making 

 pies. Even the knots which arc formed on the branches, from tho puncture of in- 

 sects, are sometimes collected, and worn or carried by credulous simpletons, as a 

 sort of amulet, or charm against the tooth ache ! Tho plant, nevertheless, is often 

 something of a nuisance on our farms, from the rapidity with which i: inclines to 

 spread, and take possession of neglected fields. 



5. R. trivialis, Mx. Stem procumbent, sarmentow, armed with nu- 

 merous recurved prickles ; brandies assurgent, short, sparingly aculeate ; 

 leaves mostly temate ; leaflets ovate, or oval, acute, unequally serrate, 

 more or less pilose ; pedicels subsolitary, axillary, or in terminal few- 

 flowered corymbs; calyx-segments ovate-oblong, mucronate, margined 

 with a white tomentum. Torv. Fl. I. p. 489. 



R. hispiduB. Marsh. Arbust. p. 137. DC Protlr. 2. p. 564. Beck, 

 Bot. p. 103. Not? of Linn. Willd. Pers. Ait. Muhl. &c. 

 R. procurabens, Muhl. Catal. p. 60. Bart. Phil. I. p. 233. 



Trivial Rubus. Vulgo — Dew-berry. Running Brier. 



Stem 4 to 8 or 10 feet long, slender, procumbent, often sevoral from the same 

 root running in different directions, fruticose, smoothish, purple, armed with many 

 short sharp recurved prickles, and giving out numerous leafy flowering-branches, 

 which are nearly erect, 2 to 4 or 6 inches long, pubescent, and somewhat aculeate. 

 Leaves mostly tcrnate ; petioles half an inch to an inch and half long, pubescent, 

 often aculeate ; stipules lance-linear, acuminate; leaflets 3 fourths of an inch to 

 an inch and half long, and half an inch to an inch wide, varying from ovate to 

 oval and sub-rhomboid,— the terminal one often cuneate-obovate and petiolate, the 

 lateral ones sub-sessile,— all more or less pilose when young, especially on the 

 under surface and margins, finally smoothish above. Flower* terminal and sub- 

 terminal on the short erect branches, few and rather large, somewhat corymbose 

 by the elongation of the lower axillary pedicels. Calyx pubescent; segment* 

 ovate, oblong, acute, or more frequently with a mucronate point, and a conspicu- 

 ously white downy margin. Petals white, obovate, twice as long as the calyx. 

 Fruit oblong, obtuse, or often roundish, half an inch to near an inch in diameter, 

 carpels or acines large, very succulent and sweet, black when mature. 



Hob. Rocky neglected old fields, &c frequent. FL May. /V.July. 



Obs. The fruit of this is very fine, and a great favorite ; but it is not the " Dew- 

 berry" of England,— which is the R. casius. L. Tho plough-boy is apt to get well 

 acquainted with this species,— by the long trailing stems, with their recurved 

 prickles, drawing across his naked ankles ! expertus loquor.— In our rocky wood 

 lands we often find specimens very nearly related to this,— but every way more 

 slender, with the young branches and leaves nearly smooth, the leaflets more 

 lanceolate, and the flowers generally solitary on long slender terminal pedi- 

 cels, with but few of the carpels, or acines, coming to perfection. When my 

 Catalogue was published, I supposed they might be the R.Jlagellaris, of Pursh, 

 Ell. &c. but further observation inclines me to tho opinion that they are only a 

 icoodland variety of R* trivialis. 



6. R. obovatus, Pcrs. Stem procumbent, slender, hispid and acule- 

 ate; branches assurgent, slender and herbaceous ; leaves mostly ternate ; 

 leaflets obovate, cuneate and subrhomboid, coarsely and unequally ser- 



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