1237 



RIBES* setdsum. 

 Bristly-stemmed Gooseberry. 



PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



Nat. ord. Grossulaces'.. 

 RIBES.— Suprd, vol. 2. fol. 125. 



R. setosum ; ramis dens^ setosis, aculeis insequalibus subulatis, foliis sub- 

 rotundis basi cordatis pubescentibus 3-5-lobis alt^ crenatis, pedunculis 

 bi-floris subbracteatis, calycibus tubulato-campanulatis ; laciniis lineari- 

 bus obtusis patentibus petalis ititegerrimis duplo longioribus, baccis his- 

 pidis. — Lindley in hort. trans. 7. p, 243. 



" Plants of this undescribed Ribes were presented to 

 the Society by Messrs. Loddiges, with the name of the 

 Missouri Gooseberry. It is a low bush, having its branches 

 densely covered with setae ; among which, particularly 

 about the bases of the young branches, are intermixed 

 many unequal, straight, subulate aculei. The leaves are 

 roundish, deeply cordate, covered, as well as their stalks, 

 with a minute glandular pubescence ; the margin is 3- or 

 5-lobed, or angled, with numerous, nearly roundish, inci- 

 sions. The flowers are white, tubular, and about half as 

 long as those of R. aureum, appearing in pairs, and hanging 

 in profusion from beneath the branches. Berries black, 

 spherical, and hispid, with a subacid pleasant flavour, a 

 little partaking of musk. 



" This is a very desirable species ; and although not 



* The Arabian physicians of the eleventh and twelfth centuries had a 

 famous medicinal plant which they called Ribas. This, being described as 

 bearing subacid berries, was for a long time supposed to be our Currant or 

 Gooseberry ; but it is now pretty well made out, that the Arabian Ribas was 

 the kind of rhubarb by moderns called Rheum Ribes. 



