AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA 
RIBBON GRASS. See Phalaris arundinacea 
variegata. 
RIBBON-TREE. See Plagianthus. 
- RIBES (an Arabic name, properly belonging to a 
species of Rhewm; Grossularia was, according to Dr. 
Asa Gray, the proper name to have been adopted for 
the genus). Currant; Gooseberry. Including Calobotrya, 
Chrysobotrya, and Grossularia. ORD. Sawifrageer. A 
genus comprising about fifty-six species of hardy, de- 
ciduous shrubs, often resinous- glandular, unarmed, or 
with spines beneath the axils or scattered; they are 
natives of Europe, temperate Asia and America, and 
the Andes of South America. Flowers white, yellow, 
red, or green, rarely purple, often unisexual by abortion, 
racemose or sub-solitary; calyx tube ovoid or spherical, 
adnate to the ovary; limb tubular or campanulate, four 
or five-fid, often coloured, the lobes erect or incurved, 
imbricated or sub-valvate; petals four or five, inserted 
at the throat of the calyx, small, scale-like, usually 
included ; stamens four or five, inserted with the 
petals; pedicels bracteate at base and bibracteolate in 
the middle. Berries oblong or globose, pulpy, crowned 
by the. calyx, one-celled, many-seeded. Leaves scattered, 
often fascicled, petiolate, simple, entire or often lobed, 
crenate, or cut, plicate or convolute in vernation ; stipules 
adnate to the petioles or wanting. A great many of 
the plants have been introduced; those best known in 
garden are described below. Four species are in- 
eluded in the British Flora. Spring is the flowering 
period. There is but little difficulty in propagating and 
growing any of the species, They root readily from cut- 
tings or layers, and succeed in almost any ordinary garden 
soil, See also Currant and Gooseberry. 
Funai. These are not, on the whole, very destructive 
to the shrubs of this genus. The dead roots and 
stems provide suitable food for Nectria Ribis, and for 
other Pyrenomycetes; but these need not be discussed 
here. The living leaves of Gooseberries frequently, 
and of Currants occasionally, show orange or i 
swollen spots, on which are numerous little pits or 
cups, filled with the small spores of Æcidium Grossu- 
larie. This also attacks the fruits, and may do 
a good deal of harm, but is not usually very injurious. 
The diseased leaves and fruits should be picked off as 
soon as the orange spots are observed. Less often, the 
leaves bear small, dark brown masses, which, on exa- 
mination with the microscope, are found to be made up 
of brown spores, each consisting of two cells, and borne 
on a pale stalk attached to one end of the spore. This 
Fungus is named Puccinia Ribis. Another Fungus is 
common and destructive to the leaves of species of 
Ribes on the Continent of Europe. It appears in the 
form of yellow, raised spots on the lower surface of the 
leaves, often so numerous as almost to overspread them, 
and, in time, to destroy them. These spots are covered 
with the round, one-celled spores of Cwoma Ribesii. 
The leaves of Gooseberries and of Currants are often 
marked with discoloured spots, which become dry and 
withered. In these are generally to be seen minute, | 
black spots, which, under the microscope, are found to 
be pycnidia with minute sporidia. Those on Currants 
belong to forms known by the names of Glewosporium 
Ribis and Septoria Ribis, and those on Gooseberries 
have received the name of Septoria Grossularie. They 
are all, probably, young stages of true Pyrenomycetes, of — 
herella from 
which one, Sp Ribis, has been recorded 
similar spots. These Fungi seldom do serious injury. — 
The most successful treatment is to pick off and burn 
the leaves that show the spots, and the same.. holds 
good of the Puccinia and the Cæoma mentioned above. 
The leaves of Gooseberries are frequently covered with 
a thin, white coating, which, after a time, becomes 
studded with small, black grains, like gunpowder. This 
OF HORTICULTURE. 
Ribes—continued. PARE Sa 
is due to the growth of a Mildew (which see), known 
as Microsphera Grossularie. The white coat is com- 
posed of the mycelium and conidia (see Oidium). The 
black specks are perithecia, which bear ten to fifteen 
transparent outgrowths, bifurcated about three times. 
Each perithecium incloses from four to eight asci, which 
contain four or five spores. Flowers of sulphur and solu- 
tion of potassium sulphide, employed as advised under 
Oidium, are the best remedies, should any be needed, 
Insects, &c. The animals most injurious to plants 
of this genus have been briefly treated of under the 
headings Currant and Gooseberry; and several of 
them have received somewhat fuller notice under the 
headings mentioned below. The young twigs of Currants 
are often bored into and killed by the larvæ of the 
Currant Cle Moth (which see). The infested 
branches may be detected by the drooping of the leaves, 
re should be cut off, with the larve in them, and 
urned, 
FIG. 374. GOOSEBERRY AND CURRANT SAWFLY (Nematus Ribesii)— 
a, Lines to show actual spread of wings and length of body. 
The buds of Black Currants (R. nigrum) are, in some 
localities, tenanted by Mites (Phytoptuse Ribis), which 
cause them to enlarge, but destroy the shoots; and the 
bushes are thus rendered useless, and may be killed. 
The swollen buds should be removed, and destroyed; 
and, if the attack is severe, the bushes should be up- 
rooted, and burned, and others should not be planted in 
the same soil for two or three years (see Mites). 
The leaves of Gooseberries, and of Currants of several 
kinds, suffer very seriously from the attacks of the 
larve of the or Moth (which 
see); and, to a less degree, from of the V-Moth 
(Halia or Phalena Wavaria). The appearance the 
former, and the remedies against the larvw, are spe- 
cified under the heading quoted above. The V-Moth also 
belongs to the Geometers, and resembles the Magpie 
Moth in form; but the spread of wings does not exceed 
lhin., and the colour is grey, with a purplish gloss, and 
brownish hind margins to the wings. Along the front 
margin, each fore wing bears numerous short streaks, 
and four spots of dark brown. The second spot joins 
with a dark spot in the centre of the wing, so as to 
| form a V (hence the popular name of the moth), with 
its tip directed from the body. The moth appears in 
July; the larvæ are most conspicuous about May. They 
are cylindrical, with slight dilatations along the sides. 
head is 
ine ‘body, veriea kom dull groom to leed-oolour, but 
always shows wavy, smoke-coloured lines 4 
and a row of pale yellow spots along each side; in each 
lend-coloured, with dark markings; sò 
