642 



NOTES FROM A GARDEN HERBARIUM. 



provided with weak ones, and more or less hairy ; 

 leaflets ovate and comparatively large ; sepals 

 often prolonged and leaf-like and lobed. R. i7-ivi- 

 alls — main stem mostly thickly beset with stout 

 prickles ; leaves firm, and nearly or quite ever- 

 green, with usually stout-prickled petiole and mid- 

 rib, and smooth, or very nearly so ; leaflets oval- 

 oblong or almost lanceolate and small ; sepals not 

 prolonged nor cut, so far as I have seen. 



From these species Riibiis hispidiis is distin- 

 guished by its very small and weak long stems, 

 which are beset with hair-like bristles, which only 

 rarely become stout enough to scratch the hand 

 seriously ; the obovate and obtuse shining leaflets, 

 the terminal one of which is not stalked ; the 

 fifiform pedicels and spreading inflorescence, and 

 the small flowers and fruit. It is in every way a 

 much more delicate plant than either of the others. 

 A sprig of it is shown in Fig. 2. 



Now, what is the cultivated dewberry ? It is 

 always said to be Rubits Canadensis, yet it is by no 

 means certain that it should be referred to that spe- 

 cies. The Lucretia dewberry looks like a distinct and 

 new species, yet it had probably better be referred 

 as a variety to R. Canadensis until we know our 

 rubuses better. The frontispiece, Fig. i, is a good 

 illustration of the Lucretia dewberry. The leaves, 

 especially those on the sprig at the left, are seen to 

 be very broad and straight at the base, and to be 

 doubly serrate and jagged. These are characters 

 which do not belong to the type of Rubus Can- 

 adensis. Fuller characters of separation may be 

 given as follows : 



Rubus Canadensis, Linn., var. roribaccus, new 

 variety (ros, dew ; bacciis, berry). Plant larger and 

 stronger ; leaflets broad below, usually triangular- 

 ovate, doubly serrate with small teeth, and more or 

 less notched or jagged ; peduncles longer, straighter 

 and stouter, habitually more numerous and more 

 conspicuously overtopping the leaves ; flowers very 

 large (sometimes two inches across ! ) ; sepals uni- 

 formly larger, some of them much prolonged and 

 leaf-like and conspicuously lobed (sometimes be- 

 coming an inch long and wide) ; fruit much larger. 



But the cultivated dewberries are not all the 

 same. I have a specimen of a plant which I once 

 grew, sent me as " Lucretia's Sister," which is, ap- 

 parently, true Rubus Canadensis . I have no record 

 of the source from which I obtained this variety. 

 I also have specimens of Bartell and Mammoth, 

 which are clearly distinct from the Lucretia. They 



have the coarsely dentate leaves of R. Canadensis, 

 nearly smooth pedicels and less conspicuous sepals 

 than Lucretia. They are, apparently, robust 

 forms of R. Canadensis, but my specimens are in- 

 sufficient for positive determination. 



The Lucretia dewberry is said to be native to 

 the hills of West Virginia, and is said to have been 

 introduced from there by B. F. Albaugh & Sons, of 



Fig. 2. Rubus hispidus. 



Covington, Ohio. It has been in cultivation for a 

 number of years. Neither the fruit nor any part 

 of the plant has ever been truthfully figured, so far 

 as I know. The trade cuts and lithographs of the 

 dewberry are unlike it. 



As a fruit, the Lucretia dewberry has given poor 

 results with me. The plants are unproductive and 

 the berries are seldom well-formed. But others 

 have obtained remarkable results from it, and I am 

 confident that it possesses promise. It is not im- 

 probable that the variety is not uniform in charac- 

 ter, and that it needs more systematic attention in 

 the way of careful selection ; but it is evident that 

 I have not yet learned how to grow it. 



L. H. B. 



