Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 34 (1896).djvu/317

 PKOFESSOE BABINGTON ON RUBUS IN 1891. 291 out to replace universally recognised names, however much it may seem to be required by the rigid application of laws of nomenclature. The great variability of some "species" causes much trouble to the describer of plants. Many of these forms seem to retain, even from seed, marked and often striking peculiarities, and deserve distinctive names, although we can hardly call them species. Hybrids also seem to be not very uncommon, and when their parents can be discovered they are well deserving of notice. But such plants often are mistaken for species, for, owing to the way in which brambles increase by offsets, one of them may be found covering a large space, although possibly never producing ripe seeds. Such ought to be described, but doubtful isolated plants should be neglected until we can learn more about them, and that seems to be the duty of the botanist who observes them in a living state. KuBus LENTiGiNosus Lccs. Stem " suberect," furrowed upwards, slightly hairy. Prickles conical, slightly declining from dilated com- pressed base, on angles. Leaves Snate-digitate. Leaflets thin plicate, not imbricate, doubly and irregularly serrate, green, nearly glabrous, but slightly hairy on veins beneath ; terminal 2-3 times as long as its petiole, obovate- acuminate, narrowed and scarcely notched below. Branches of rather long narrow leafy panicle ascending, racemose, its rachis and peduncles pilose, not felted, with many strong declining or deflexed prickles. Sejxds oval, linear-pointed, slightly setose, acicu- late, adpressed to fruit. R. lentiginosus Lees in Steele, 60 (1849) ; Phytol. iv. 927. li. affinisy p. lentiginosus Bab. B. R. 72. The stems apparently do not root at end, but the plant can hardly be placed with the Suberecti. It seems far more nearly allied to R. Lindleianus, but is abnormal in respect to stem among Rhamnifolii. The panicle-branches have a long naked unbranched base as in R. Lindleianus, and the rachis has many rather strong deflexed prickles. I have no certain knowledge of the relative lengths of stamens and styles, but apparently the former exceed the latter. ''' This is an interesting plant as connecting the two sections, but being apparently far more allied to the plants included in Rhamnifolii than to Suberecti. Hab. Capel Curig {Lees) and Aber (Bloxam) and Llanberis (J. H. Lewis). Near Plymouth, Devon [Briggs). Mr. Lees says in the Phytologist that the flowers are in general small, and the whole plant weak, yet the stem is very prickly, and the points of the prickles are sharp and attenuated. The stem seems to be constantly suberect, but bent to the ground with the flower- shoots. Leaves sometimes 7nate. Panicle flexuose on luxuriant plants, with many alternating axillary racemes of small flowers. Peduncles and bracts covered with long spreading hairs, with a few glands (setae) on the latter. Sepals patent with flower and young fruit, then becoming loosely reflexed. Petals very small. Stamens and styles pale green.
 * " Stamens and styles about equal." — Focke.