SAXIFRAGE FAMILY. 133 



Petals small, spatulate or linear. Little pods 2 or 3, nearly separate, opening 

 down tlie inner suture, several-seeded. 



12. TIARKLLA. Flowers in a raceme. Calyx colored (white), 5-parted, and 



in the sinuses bearing 5 very narrow slender-clawed petals. Filaments and 

 styles long and slender. Ovary 1-celled, with several ovules towards the base 

 of the 2 parietal placentas, 2-beaked; one of the beaks or carpels growing 

 much more than the other and making the larger part of the lance-shaped 

 membranaceous pod, which is few-seeded towards the bottom. 

 •(- ■»- Petals 5, pinnatijid, very delicate. 



13. MITELLA. Flowers in a simple raceme or spike, small. Petals colored like 



the short open calyx (white or green). Stamens short. Styles 2, very short 

 Ovary and pod globular, 1-celled, with 2 parietal placentae at the base, many- 

 seeded, opening across the top. 



■^ -^ ■<— Petals none. 



14. CHRYSOSPLENIUM. Flowers yellowish-green, solitary or in a leafy cyme. 



Calyx-tube coherent with the ovary, the tube or expanded border with 4 or 

 5 blunt lobes. Stamens 8 or 10, very short. Styles 2, short, recurved. Pod 

 obcordate, thin, its notched summit rising above the calyx-tube, 1-celled 

 with 2 parietal placentae, several -many-seeded. 



1. RIBES, CURRANT, GOOSEBERRY. (An Arabic name.) Leaves 

 plaited in the bud, except the last species, often clustered in the axils of 

 those of previous season. Fl. spring. Fruit mostly eatable. 

 § 1. Gooseberry. Stems commonly luith \ or 2 thorns below the leafstalks or 



the clusters of leaves, often ivith numerous scattered prickles besides, these 



sometimes on the berry also. 



* Cultivated species. 



B.. Speci6sum, Showy Flowering-Gooseberry, of California: cult, 

 for ornament, especially in England, likely to succeed in Southern Middle 

 States, is trained like a climber ; has small and shining leaves, 1-3 very hand- 

 some iiowers on a hanging peduncle, the short-tubular calyx, petals, and long- 

 projecting stamens deep red, so that the blossom resembles that of a Fuchsia ; 

 berry prickly, few-seeded. 



R. Grossul^ria, Garden or English Gooseberry. Cult, from Eu. 

 for the well-known fruit; thorny and prickly, with small obtusely 3 - .5-lobed 

 leaves, green flowers 1 - 3 on short pedicels, bell-shaped calyx, and large berry. 



* * Native species (chiefly N. <f' W.), passing under the general name o/Wild 



Gooseberry, with greenish or dull-purplish blossoms, only 1-3 on each 

 peduncle. 



R. hirt611um, the commonest E., is seldom downy, with very short thorns 

 or none, very short peduncles, stamens and 2-cleft style scarcely longer than 

 the bell-shaped calyx ; and the smooth berry purple, small, and sweet. 



R. rotundifblium, commoner W., is often downy-leaved ; peduncles 

 slender, the slender stamens and 2-parted style longer than the narrow calyx ; 

 berry smooth. 



R. Cyndsbati, of rocky woods N., is downy-leaved, with .slender pedun- 

 cles, stamens and undivided style not exceeding the broad calyx, and large 

 berry usually prickly. 



* * * Native species with the prickly stems of a Gooseberry, but with a raceme of 



flowers like those of a Currant. 



R. lacustre, Lake or Swamp G. Cold bogs and wet woods N. : low, 

 with 3 - ."i-parted leaves, their lobes deeply cut, very small floAvers with broad 

 and flat calyx, short stamens and style, and small bristly berries of unpleasant 

 flavor. 



§ 2. Currant. No thorns nor prickles, and the flowers numerous in the racemes. 

 * Wild, or cultivated for the fruit : flowers greenish or whitish. 

 -t- Leaves ivilhout resinous dots : calyx flat and open : berries red (or white). 

 R. prostrktum, Fetid C. Cold woods N. ; with reclining stems, deeply 

 heart-shaped and acutely 5 -7-lobed leaves, erect racemes, pedicels and pale-red 



