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100 NOTES ON ENGLISH RUBI.
northern form. I possess a dried cultivated specimen from the
CambriJge Garden, and I have seen dried specimens from Scothind,
and the northern and middle parts of England.
Cant, distrib. Scandinavia, N. Germany.
3. K. suLCATus Vest. — In general appearance this species
resembles very much the R. suherectus, but it may be easily
distinguished by its strong prickles confined to the angles of the
stem, by the short but distinct foot-stalks of its basal leaflets, and
by its large black fruits. It is a taller plant than R. suberectus, the
stems are more angular, and their leaves always quinate; the
flowering branches and racemes are much longer than in the allied
species. The only dried English specimen I have seen was collected
by Mr. Archer Briggs, " By Holsworthy and Thornbury Eoad,
N. Devon, 13th July, 1885."
Cont. distrib. S. Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Switzerland.
N. Italy, E. (and W.?) France.
4. E. PLicATus W. et N. — A northern plant, which I have not
met with on my excursions in the southern counties. I have seen
a dried specimen, gathered by the Eev. W. Moyle Eogers "on wet
bushy ground in the Lower Bridgerule Bog, N. Devon, Aug. 1882."
In the northern parts of England it is common; the plant may also
be expected to occur on the high hills of the southern counties.
Cunt, distrib. S. Scandinavia, Denmark, Germany, Belgium,
N.E. France. In Switzerland and Tyrol it is a mountainous species.
5. E. NiTiDus W.etN.—This is a somewhat changeable species;
it resembles 11. jdicatus, but keeps in all its varieties its peculiar
appearance. The typical German plant has a compound panicle
armed with strong hooked prickles. A white-flowering variety is
the /('. hiiiiulusus Lefv. et IMuell. (/?. nitidus albijlurus Wh.). The
typical plaut grows often ia brooks, or on the banks of small streams
aud rivulets. The strongest and most decidedly hooked prickles
seem to be the product of a loamy soil. On a sandy ground the
armature of the panicle is much weaker. The I!, nitidus I have
seen with Mr. Eogers and Mr. Briggs in Hants, Dorset, and
Devonshire is generally taller than the German plant; its inflorescence
is narrower ; its prickles are less numerous and falcate (not
hooked); its leaflets acuminate, not simply acute. Notwithstanding
these differences, I see no clear limits between this British form,
which I think the French botanists might call E. intc;/ribasis P. J.
Muell., and the German type, which has not always the striking
characters of the hiDiiulosus-like forms. Much more dift'erent is
Genevier's U. nitidus, called by me B. liolcnjthros, which I believe
will prove to be a distinct species or subspecies. I have seen liviug
plants of R. nitidus near Sway, S. Hants; Branksome, West Moors,
Daggons, and Alderholt, Dorset ; Shaugh Bridge, Bickleigh Vale,
and Plymbridge Eoad, S. Devon.
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