98 ELEMENTS OF BOTANY. 



RIBES. 



Characters of the family. 



1. 11. Cynosbati L. Wild (Jooskukury. A spreading bush 

 2-4 ft. tall, with the older stems prickly and the younger nearly 

 smooth ; leaves nearly circular, slightly cordate, 3-5-lol)ed, the lobes 

 crenate or incised, somewhat pubescent, petiole long and slender ; 

 peduncles 2-:>-flowered, flowers greenish ; stamens and style not 

 longer than the calyx tube; berry covered with prickles. Aj^ril- 

 June. In rocky woods. More common noi'thward. 



2. R. ROTUNDiFOLiuM Michx. Smooth (ioosionERRY. A strag- 

 gling shrub 3-4 ft. high, the branches often smooth; leaves roundisli, 

 the base not cordate and often acute, o-5-lobed and incised, pubes- 

 cent beneath ; peduncles 1-2 -flowered, flowers greenish-purple ; sta- 

 mens longer than the calyx tube ; berry small, smooth. April-June. 

 Ill rocky woods. 



3. R. RUiJiiuM L. Red Currant. A shrub 2-4 ft. high, 

 branches smooth ; leaves orbicular to reniform, 3-5-lobed, the lobes 

 sharply dentate, pubescent beneath when young; petioles slender, 

 1-3 in. long ; flowers many, in pendulous racemes, greenish, pedicels 

 bracted ; stamens short ; fruit smooth, red or nearly white. April- 

 May. Native in the northern states and often cultivated. 



54. HAMAMELIDACEiE. WTTCII-IIAZEL FAiAirLY, 



Trees or shrubs, with alternate, petioled, simple leaves and 

 deciduous stipules ; flowers perfect, polygamous or moncje- 

 cioiis, variously clustered ; calyx tube coherent with the base 

 of the ovary ; petals 4-5, long and showy, or entirely want- 

 ing ; stamens twice as many as the petals with the alternate 

 ones sterile, or numerous and perfect ; styles 2 ; fruit a woody, 

 2-celled capsule opening at the summit, seeds bony, 1 or 

 more in each cell. 



I. HAMAMELIS. 



Large shrubs; leaves short-petioled ; flowers yellow, lat- 

 eral, clustered ; calyx 2-3-bracted, 4-parted ; petals 4, elon- 

 gated and linear, sometimes wanting in the staminate flowers ; 

 stamens 8, the alternate ones sterile ; styles 2, ovules 2 ; 

 seeds large, bony, oblong, shiny\ 



