Kibes. LX. GROSSULACEiE. 273 



Order LX. GROSSULACE^.— Currants. . 



Shruhs either unarmed or spiny. Lvs. alternate, lobed, plaited in vernation. 



Fls. in axillary racemes, with liracts at their base. 



Cfii.— Superior, 4— 5-clel't, regular, colored, marescent, imbricate in Estivation. 



Cw.— Petals inserted in the throat of the caly.x, small, di.stinct, a.s many as sepals. 



Sla. as many as petals and alternate with them, very short; ««rters introrse. 



Ova. 1-celied, with 2 parietal placentae ; ovules numerous ; styles 2. - 



Fr. a 1-celled berry (the cell tilled with pulp) crowned with the remains of the flower. 



Sds. anatropous, the embryo minute, radicle next the micropyle. 



Genera 1, species 35. The gooseberries and currants are natives of the N. temperate zone ofboth con- 

 tinents, but unknown in the tropics or S. hemisphere, e.xcept S. America. 



Properties.— The berries contain a sweet, mucilaginous pulp, together with malic or citric acid. Thejr 

 are always wholesome and usually esculent, 



RIBES. 

 Character the same as that of the Order. 



* Stems unarmed. Currants. 



V 1. R. PLORiDUM. L'Her. Wild Black Currant. 



' \ Lvs. subcordate, 3 — 5-lobed, sprinkled on both sides with yellowish, resin- 

 ous dots ; rac. many-flowered, pendulous, pubescent ; cal. cylindrical ; bracts 

 linear, longer than the pedicels ; fr. obovoid, smooth, black. — A handsome 

 shrub in woods and hedges. Can. to Ky. common, 3 — 4f high. Leaves 1 — 3' 

 long, tlie width something more, lobes acute, spreading, 3, sometimes with 2 

 small additional ones; dots just visible to the naked eye. Petioles 1 — 2' long. 

 FloAvers rather bell-shaped, greenish yellow. Fruit insipid. May, Jn. 



2. R. PROSTRATUM. L'Her. (R. rigens. Michx.) Mauntam Currant. 

 St. reclined ; lvs. smooth, deeply cordate, 5 — 7-lobed, doubly serrate, retic- 

 ulate-rugose ; rac. erect, lax, many-flowered ; cal. rotate ; berries globose, glan- 

 ,dular-hispid, red. — A small shrub, on mountains and rocky hills, Penn. to Can., 

 ill-scented, and with ill-flavored berries — sometimes called Skunk Currant. 

 Prostrate stems, with erect, straight branches. Leaves about as large as in 

 No. 1, lobes acute. Petioles elongated. Racemes about 8-flowered, becoming 

 erect in Iruit. Bracts very short. Flowers marked with purple. Berries 

 rather large. May. 

 ^ / 3. R. RUBRUM. Common Red Curi'ant. 

 fj-^ Lvs. obtusely 3 — 5-lobed, smooth above, pubescent beneath, subcordate at 

 'base, margin miicronately serrate ; rac. nearly smooth, pendulous ; cal. .short, 

 rotate; bracts much shorter than the pedicels; fr. globose, glabrous, red. — 

 Woods, St. Johnsbury, Vt. Mr. Carey, Wisconsin, Lapham! N. to the Arctic 

 ocean. Cultivated universally in gardens. 



/?. ( White Currant.) Fr. light amber-colored, larger and sweeter. 



4. R. NIGRUM. Black Currant. — Lvs. 3 — 5-lobed, punctate beneath, dentate- 

 serrate, longer than their petioles ; rac. lax, hairy, somewhat nodding ; cal. 

 campanulate ; bracts nearly equaling the pedicels ; //•. roundish-ovoid, nearly 

 black. — Native of Europe, &c. Cultivated and esteemed for its m.eA\(ihiS.\ jelly 

 Flowers yellowish. — This species much resembles R. floridum. 



5. R. AUREUM. Ph. Missouri, or Golden Currant. 



Plant smooth ; lvs. 3-lobed, lobes divaricate, entire or with a. Tew large 

 teeth ; petioles longer than the leaves ; bracts linear, as long as the pedicels ; 

 rac. lax, many-flowered ; cal. tubular, longer than the pedicels, segments ob- 

 long, obtuse ; pet. linear ; fr. smooth, oblong or globose, yellow, finally brown, 

 —Mo. W. to Oregon. A beautiful shrub, 6 — lOf high, common in cultivation. 

 Flowers numerous, yellow, very fragrant. Apr. May. 



♦* Spinescent or prickly. Gooseberries. 



6. R. Cynoseati. Prickly Gooseberry. 



St. prickly or not ; svbaxillary spines about in pairs ; lvs. cordate, 3 — 5- 

 lobed, softly pubescent, lobes inciseiy dentate ; rac. nodding. 2 — 3-flowered ; ca^ 

 lyxtube o\diie-cj\mAiic, longer than the segments; pet. obovate. shorter than 

 the calyx segments ; berries prickly. — A handsome shrub. Northern and West- 

 ern States, about 4f high, in hedges and thickets, mostly without prickles, but 

 armed with 1 — 3 sharp spines just below the axil of each leaf. Leaves 1 J — 2i' 



