105 
Mr Neill on the Ayrshire Rose. 
and rather unequally serrated. In R. capreolata the fruit is 
ovate, furnished with a neck, which, along with the peduncle, 
presents scattered glandular hairs, more evident in the imma- 
ture fruit ; while the fruit of R. arvensis is globular, and every 
where smooth. In R. capreolata the petioles of the leaves are 
naked ; while in R. arvensis they are pubescent. In respect to 
general habit, it may be remarked, that R. capreolata grows more 
strongly and freely than R. arvensis ; and, what may be consi- 
dered as rather a striking peculiarity, the former retains its 
leaves much longer than the latter : In short, R. capreolata im 
clines to be an evergreen in our climate. In this respect it is 
allied to R. sempervirens, or the Evergreen Rose : But this spe- 
cies is readily distinguished by its more leafy stems, its leaves 
being still more glossy, with closer serratures ; and its fruit and 
peduncles being hispid. 
I may mention, that in the Royal Botanic Garden here, both 
species have for some years been kept growing close by each 
other, so as to afford every facility for comparison, and that the 
excellent superintendant of the garden, Mr William Macnab, 
has thus satisfied himself of their being specifically distinct. He 
concurs generally in the accuracy of the discriminative charac- 
ters above detailed ; and adds a remarkable character, distinc- 
tive of the general habits of the two species : the trailing shoots 
of R. arvensis, at the points where they touch the ground, 
speedily send forth roots in the manner of the common bramble- 
bush ; but this tendency to radication, is never observed in 
the shoots of the Ayrshire rose, of whatever length they may be, 
or however favourably applied to the surface of the ground. 
I have now to offer some proof that R. capreolata is real- 
ly an exotic species. I am enabled to state that it is a North 
American native ; and, by the assistance of Mr Walter Under- 
Avood, the very intelligent gardener at Eglinton Castle, to give 
an account of its introduction into Scotland. 
At the time when the Botanic Garden at Leith Walk, Edin- 
burgh, was originally established, (about 1767), the late Dr 
John Hope, Professor of Botany, and some well wishers to 
the garden and to botanical science, united in sending out 
a person to North America, with the view of his collecting 
