RiBEs. LX. GROSSULACEiE, 273 



Order LX. CROSSULACEiE.— Currants. 



Shritl>8 cither unarmed or spiny. Li's. alternnle, lobcd, t)laiU:il in vernation. 



Fla. in axilliiry rai-emes, willi lirurts at tlicir liaxe. 



Ca/.— iSuiiiTior, 4 5 clelt. rtirular, (•(ilorcil, marcscfnf , iml)riratc in a-Htivation. 



Cor.— I'l'tals in.scrlctl in tin; iliroal of tin- ial> \, siii.ill, ilistiiirt, an many aH nepala. 



Ufa. a.s many as pclal.s uiiil allfiiiiic wiili ilicin, vi ry .-liort ; «/i//i«/j(intror.He. 



Ova. l-Cfllcd. Willi "^ parietal i>laci'iila> ; (((•(//». v minit'rotis ; xlijifx'i. 



Fr. a Icclled berry (the cell lillcd wiili piilio crowned with the remains of the flower. 



Sda. anatroiHius, the embryo niiiiuee, radicle next the micropyle. 



Genera 1, species 95. The p(MK<!et)errics and currants are natives of the N. temperate zone of both con- 

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



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

 are always wholesome and usually esculent. 



RIBES. 



Character the same as that of the Order. 



* Stems unarmed. Currants. 



1. R. Fr.ORiDUM. 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—2' 

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

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

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



2. R. PROSTRATUM. L'Hcr. (R. rigens. Michx.) Mountain 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 fruit. Bracts very short. Flowers marked with purple. Berries 

 rather large. May. 



3. R. RUBRUM. Common Red Currant. 



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

 base, margin mucronately 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, LapJuLm ! N. to the Arctic 

 ocean. Cultivated universally in gardens. 



0. ( W/iite 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 nearlv equaling the pedicels ; fr. roundish-ovoid, nearly 

 black.— Native of Europe, &c. Cultivated and esteemed for its medicinal _;>%. 

 Flowers )-ellowish. — 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 few large 

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

 rac. lax, manv-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. Abeautiful shrub, 6— lOf high, common in cultivation. 

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



** Spincscent or p^-ickly. Gooseberries. 



6. R. Cynosbati. Prickhi Gooseberry. 



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

 lobed, soltly pubescent, lobes inciselv dentate ; rac. nodding, 2— 3-flowered ; m- 

 Z?/.r/7<*e ovate-cylindric, longer than the .segments; /?c/. obovate. shorter than 

 the calvx .segments; berries pricklv.— 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 li— Ji 



