RiEKs. LX. GROSSULACE^. 273 



Oeder LX. GROSSULACE^.— Currants. 



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



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



C«Z.— Superior, 4— 5-cleft, regular, colored, marescent. imbricate in aestivation. 



ror.— Petals inserted in the throat of the calyx, small, distinct, as many as sepals. 



Sta. as many as petals and alternate with them, very short ; a?ir/zcrs introrse. 



Ova. l-celled, with 2 parietal placentae ; ovMZes numerous ; styles 2. 



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



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



Genera 1, species 95. The goaseberries 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 contiin 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. 



* Steins 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 ; fr. obovoid, smooth, black. — A handsome 

 shrub in woods and hedges. Can. to Ky. common, 3 — if 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. Mickx.) 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 

 IN'o. 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; brorJs much shorter than the pedicels; fr. globose, glabrous, red. — 

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

 ocean. Cultivated imiversally in gardens. 



0. {White Currant.) Fr. light amber-colored, larger and sweeter. 



4. R. NIGRUM. Black Cnrrant. — 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 medicinal _;cZ///. 

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



5. R. AURF.uM. 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 ; //*. smooth, oblong or globose, yellow, finally brown. 

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

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



** SpiTicsccnt or pirklij. Gooseberries. 



6. R. Cynosbatf. Prickly Gooseberry. 



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

 lobed, .soltly pubescent, lo])es incist-iy dentate; rar. nodding, 2 — 3-flowered; ca- 

 ///.r /?//><? ovate-cylindric, longer tlian the segments; pet. obovate. shorter than 

 ine calyx .segments ; Zx^rr/o- prickly. — A handsome shrub. Northern and West- 

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

 armed with 1—3 sharp spinf^s ju^t Iv-lnw th«' nxil of mclilraf. Leaves IJ— 2J' 



