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RUBUS SILVATICUS W. & N. 275
a bramble lie supposed to be R. silvaticns W. & N., and I think it
agrees very well with that species."
As this Rubiis is very well marked, and one which I have good
reason to think will be found to have a wide distribution in
England, I consider it well to call the attention of English botanists
to it by a special notice and description, the latter drawn up from
fresh specimens :
E. SILVATICUS W. & N. Stem arcuate-prostrate, strong, often
branched, angular, with polished flat surface or shallow furrows,
green or purplish green, glabrous, or occasionally with some hairs.
Prickles fairly numerous, short, very strong, mostly uniform m
size, from a long, greatly-compressed base, declining, confined to
the angles. Leaves all 5-nate, stalked. Leaflets dentate-serrate
towards their tip, coarsely and simply serrate below, green on both
sides, with scattered hairs above, thickly pilose beneath, equidistant,
remarkably waved at and towards the edges ; basal narrowly
obovate or oblong, acute, with sides more or less unequal and
narrowed at the base ; intermediate obovate, abruptly acuminate,
narrowed or wedge-shaped towards the base ; terminal longstalked,
obovate- or oval-acuminate, sometimes subcordate at the
base ; petioles with many short, strong, uncinate or declining
prickles ;
stipules linear-lanceolate.
Flowerinfj shoot rather long, with short hairs. Prickles few, or
fairly numerous, short, declining, from very long, compressed
bases. Leaves 5-nate, much resembling those of the stem. I^anicle
often compound, narrow from beyond its lowest portion, somewhat
flexuose, thickly clothed with short, uniform, woolly hairs, especially
towards the top ; prickles very few, short, declining, lower
branches axillary, sub-patent, from at least 3-nate leaves, racemosecorymbose
; branches short, patent or sub-patent, from 3-nate,
lobed or simple leaves, which are remarkably acuminate and
coarsely cut, gradually degeneratmg into long trifid or simple
bracts that are present to the top of the panicle ; smaller branches
often three-flowered, with each peduncle at nearly a right angle to
the branch from which it springs ; peduncles sometimes with a
number of slender aciculi. Sepals thickly clothed with short woolly
hairs and felted, ovate, with short point, reflexed from the fruit.
Petals ovate, large, uniform, concave, emarginate, suddenly
narrowed into a short claw, pure white ; stamens long, exceeding
the styles ; filaments white. Styles yellowish green. Fruit
uniform.
The marked features of this bramble place it among our most
distinct and easily recognised ones, and, as a Plymouth plant,
I have known and observed it for more than twenty years past. It
occurs very generally in open bushy spots and hedges, not
attaining full development in shade or thickly wooded places.
I possess a specimen collected so long ago as 1818, by the Rev.
W. H. Coleman, whose name appears on the label, together with
the particulars, " lUibus, Thieves Lane, Hertford, 1813-7-1-4.—>,'o.
1012." To this some one has added in pencil-markings, " nitidus ,"
by this name having doubtless meant the nitidiis of Bell-Saltcr, our
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