102 The Bramble. 



covered with prickly needles, having the points curved back- 

 wards. The appendages at the base of the leaves are narrow 

 and sharp pointed ; the leaves, in threes or fives on the stalk, 

 oblong-oval, sharp, and unequally cut on the edges, green on 

 both sides, and somewhat hairy. The flowers are separate, large, 

 and white, coming out in May and June, and succeeded by the 

 usual large black fruit, extremely sweet and pleasant to the 

 taste. This flourishes best on barren sandy soil. Its medicinal 

 properties are exactly similar to the foregoing, the principal dif- 

 ferences between which appear to be the size and the fruit of the 

 R. Trivialis ripening sooner than that of the other. 



Rubus Chamjbmorus — Cloudberry — So called from its moun- 

 tain situation, as it is only found, as a general rule, in elevated 

 places. It is a herbaceous plant, quite small, the stem unarmed, 

 and having a white flower on a long downy stalk, which is erect ; 

 the petals are oblong; leaves simple, and heart-shaped at the 

 base. It is common to both continents. It flowers in June ; 

 the fruit is a beautiful amber-colored berry, not very pleasant to 

 the taste. Linnaeus directed its berry to be taken as a cure for 

 consumption, spitting of blood, and scurvy. It is, however, little 

 known and less used. 



Rubus Fructicosus — Common Bramble. This is character- 

 ized as an ornamental deciduous trailer, common to the hedges 

 of Britain, bearing a pink flower from June to September. The 

 stem is angular and furrowed ; leaflets are five, obtuse, shining, 

 and even above, and hoary beneath ; clusters, decompound, hoary. 

 Tyas says, that the Bramble is made the emblem of Envy, be- 

 cause it interferes so much with the growth of other plants. It 

 produces suckers which spread rapidly, ripen, and drop their 

 leaves in one year, and resume their foliage, produce blossom, 

 flower and fruit, and die the next. Thus, also, like Envy, it is 

 short-lived, as the envious are usually disappointed, and see the 

 deserving receive their reward. 



The following is from that beautiful work, entitled the Moral 

 of Flowers; whatever we have omitted about the Bramble 

 in the foregoing history, will be supplied below : — Who does 

 not remember the time when on a sunshine holiday, a black- 

 berry gathering was the highest treat, and when its insipid frfdt 

 was eaten with a relish far beyond that which the rarest hot- 

 house novelty can afford in riper years ? Who does not reraem- 



