HEDGE-ROWS OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF PLYMOUTH. 215 
With these differences among such authorities, anything like a 
definite conclusion as to the true character of the three shrubs 
seems hopeless; still the investigation of the matter is of great 
interest from the bearing it has on the ‘‘ origin of species” question. 
The term sub-species, adopted by two of the authors quoted, was 
employed by Von Mons under its French rendering years before 
the appearance of Darwin’s celebrated work; yet the use of it, so 
far at least as Sir Jos. Hooker is concerned, may be held to imply 
an acquiescence in Darwin’s views. Mixed up with this ‘‘ species 
versus variety’ question, there is the one relative to the position of 
insititia and domestica—the Bullace and Plum—as indigenous 
shrubs or otherwise. All acknowledge spinosa, the common Sloe 
of our hedges, to be indigenous; and those who consider the other 
two to have sprung from it, whether into varieties, sub-species, or 
even a higher grade, must regard it as the typical or oldest form of 
the plant. Now as to the Bullace. Here we must be careful to 
ascertain exactly what we include under the name before proceeding 
further, for I suspect that forms considerably diverse pass under 
it among British botanists. One of these differs but little from the 
Sloe, except in being manifestly larger in leaves, flowers, and 
fruits, and having the leaves permanently hairy beneath. This is, 
I believe, the Prunus fruticans of Weihe. I have received a 
specimen from the Rev. Augustin Ley, collected at Fawley, 
Herefordshire, labelled ‘‘ insitita,’ on Mr. Baker’s authority; and 
many, of what I take to be the same form, likewise named 
“‘ insititia,’ collected by Mr. Foggitt, in Yorkshire, recently passed 
through my hands, as Curator of the Botanical Exchange Club. 
Under these circumstances, I conclude that some British botanists 
apply to fruticans the name insititia. Fruticans is common about 
Plymouth, and unquestionably indigenous; so at least to the 
‘extent that this name is synonymous with that of ¢nsztctia must 
the latter be considered indigenous here. Thus we have Prunus 
spinosa, indigenous; P. fruticans, that is, P. insititia, Anglor. 
ex parte, indigenous; P. domestica, alien or denizen. 
Although these plants are such a puzzle to modern botanists, 
they seem to have given old Gerarde no trouble in the days of 
‘‘Good Queen Bess ;” for this is what he says about them: ‘The 
Bullesse and the Sloe tree are wilde kindes of Plums, which do 
vary in their kind, even as the greater and manured Plums do. Of 
the Bullesse some are greater and of better taste than others. 
Pp 2 
