THE RKD CUI!I^A^"T 19 



THE KED CUE RANT. 

 Br A. J. Wtlmott, B.A., F.L.S. 



The most rect'nt issue oJt' the Journal of ilie Royal Horticultural 

 Soviet// (Sept. 1917) contains (pp. 260-70) an interesting and 

 careful study of "The History and Development of the Red Currant," 

 Ly Mr. E. A. Bunyai'd on the lines of the e(pially valuable paper on 

 " 'J'he History and Development of the Strawberry," printetl in the 

 same Journal (xxxix. 541-552, April 1914). Three species are stated 

 to have taken part in the development of the Red Currant. These 

 species have been much confused, and Mr. Bunyard, basing his 

 descriptions on E. de Janczewski's Monographie des Groseilliers 

 (Mem. Soc. Phys. Hist. ISTat. Geneve, vol. xxxv. 1870) thus differen- 

 tia tes them : 



*' Hibes vulgarc Lamarck, 17S9. — Native of Western Europe, 

 France, Belgium, (Ireat Britain. A small spreading shrub, leaves 

 8 or 5-lobed, slightly downy beneath in some forms ; flowers flat, 

 pale green ; sepals turning back ; petals minute, wedge-shaped. The 

 fleshy ring round tlie style is a good character by which this species 

 can always be recognized, and even in crosses with Rihes ruhruin it 

 can still be distinguished. The racemes are pendulous. Buds small, 

 dark brown, fairly closely pressed to the twig 



" Rihes ruhruin Linn?eus, 1753. Central and Eastern Europe 

 and Asia, Scandinavia, Poland, Prussia, Kussia, Siberia, and Man- 

 churia. A small bush, leaves rounded, 3 to 5-lobed, generally densely 

 pubescent. Flowei-s bell-shaped, pale green or reddish, racemes held 

 horizontally till fruit develops and weighs them down. Buds small, 

 generally covered with white hairs, a little away from wood. This 

 species is easily distinguishable when in flower. The campanulate 

 flowers are held out at right angles from the stem in contradistinction 

 to the pendulous flowers of R. vulqare. The absence of a disc upon 

 the I'eceptacle is also constant 



" Rihes peiraeum Wulfen 17S1. High mountains of Europe, 

 North Africa, and Siberia. A very distinct species, making very 

 stout wood, with large buds. Leaves very dark green, stout and 

 tirmly held, tlie middle lobe being always longest. Fruit more or 

 less acid, generally tapering a little to stem, giving a slight Bjr- 

 gamotte shape. Flowers late in the season." 



It will be noticed that Mr. Bunyard gives R. vulgare as the onl^'- 

 British species, although Janczewski (/. c. 289) I'ecords also for 

 Scotland the var. puheacens of R. ruhrum. This latter is the plant 

 often known as R. pelrcBum of Smith (not of Wulfen), which is 

 wiilely distributed in Scotland and the north of England. By the 

 courtesy of the Royal Horticultural Society we reproduce the figures 

 which illustrate the differences between the two British species, and 

 to which have been ap))ended the names assigned to tliem in this 

 2:»aper. 



1 am dis]:)osed to agree in separating our British plants into two 

 species, but I find that the names used for them by Janczewski are 

 not in accordance with the International Code. This note is con- 

 cerned with the nomenclatorial matter. 



c2 



