Rises. LX. GROSSULACE^. 273 



Oeder LX. CtROSSULACE^.— Currants. 



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



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



C'a/.— Superior, 4— Scleft. regular, colored, marescent, imbricate in sestivation. 



Cor.— Petals inserted in the throat of the caiy.\, small, distinct, as many as sepals. 



Sta. as many as petals and alternate with them, very short; cn«/i«rs introrse. 



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



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



Sds. anatropous, the embryo minute, radicle ne.vt the raicropyle. 



Genera 1, species 95. The gooseberries 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. FLORiDUM. 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;/;-, obovoid, .smooth, black. — A handsome 

 shrub in woods and hedges. Can. to Ky. common, 3 — it 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. Mick.v.) Mmmtain Currant. 



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

 ulate-rugose ; rac. erect, lax, many-flowered ; coA. 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 Currajit. 

 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 Currant. 



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

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

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

 Woods, St. Johnsbury, Vt. 3Tr. Care]/, Wisconsin, Laphavil N. to the Arctic 

 ocean. Cultivated universally in gardens. 



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



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

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

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

 black. — Native of Europe, &c. Cultivated and esteemed for its medicinal ^'e%. 

 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 few 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 browTi. 

 — 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. Cynosbati. Prickly Gooseberry. 



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

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

 Z(/.i-/uie ovate-cylindric, longer than the '.segments ; ^eil. obovate. shorter than 

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

 ern States, about 4f high, in hedges and thickets, mo.stly without prickles, but 

 armed with 1 — 3 .sharp spines ju.=t below the axil of each leaf Leaves 1§ — 2i' 



