RIES. LX. GROSSULACE. 278 
Orver LX. GROSSULACE Al—Courrants. — 
Shrubs either unarmed or spiny. Lvs. alternate, lobed, plaited in vernation. 
Fis. in axillary racemes, with bracts at their base. 
Cal.—Superior, 4—5-cleft, regular, colored, marescent, imbricate in estivation. 
Cor.—Petals inserted in the throat of the calyx, small, distinct, as many as sepals. 
Sta. as many as petals and alternate with them, very short; anthers introrse. 
Ova. 1-celled, with 2 parietal placentz ; ovules numerous; styles 2. 
Fr. a 1-celled berry (the cell filled with pulp) crowned with the remains of the flower. 
Sds. anatropous, the embryo minute, radicle next the micropyle. 
_ Genera 1, species 95, The gooseberries and currants are natives of the N. temperate zone of both con- 
tinents, but unknown ia the tropics or S. hemisphere, except S. America. 
Properties.—The berries contain a sweet, mfucilaginous PWr,together with malic or citric acid, They 
are always wholesome and usually esculent. — a. * 
RIBES. “= 
Character the same as that of the Order. 
* Stems unarmed. CURRANTS. 
1. R. Froripum. L’Her. Wild Black Currant. 
Lws. subcordate, 3--5-lobed, sprinkled on both sides with yellowish, resin- 
ous dots; rac. many-flowered, pendulous, pubescent; cal. cylindrical; bracts 
linear, longer than the pedicels; fr. obovoid, smooth, black—A handsome 
shrub in woods and hedges, Can. to Ky. common, 3—4f high. Leaves 1—2’ 
long, the width something more, lobes acute, spreading, 3, sometimes with 2 
small additional ones; dots just visible to the naked eye. Petioles 1—2’ long. 
Flowers rather bell-shaped, greenish yellow. Fruit insipid. May, Jn. 
2. R. prostratum. L’Her. (R. rigens. Michxz.) Mountain Currant. 
St. reclined; Jvs. smooth, deeply cordate, 5—7-lobed, doubly serrate, retic- 
ulate-rugose ; rac. erect, lax, many-flowered; cal. rotate; berries globose, glan- 
dular-hispid, red—A small shrub, on mountains and rocky hills, Penn. to Can., 
ill-scented, and with ill-flavored berries—sometimes called Skunk Currant. 
Prostrate stems, with erect, straight branches. Leaves about as large as in 
No. 1, lobes acute. Petioles elongated. Racemes about 8-flowered, becoming 
erect in fruit. Bracts very short. Flowers marked with purple. Berries 
rather large. May. 
3. R. ruBrumM. Common Red Currant. 
Lvs. obtusely 3—5-lobed, smooth above, pubescent beneath, subcordate at 
base, margin mucronately serrate ; rac. nearly smooth, pendulous ; cal. short, 
rotate; bracts much shorter than the pedicels; fr. globose, glabrous, red.— 
Woods, St. Johnsbury, Vt. Mr. Carey, Wisconsin, Lapham! N. to the Arctic 
ocean. Cultivated universally in gardens. 
B. (White Currant.) Fr. light amber-colored, larger and sweeter. 
4. R. nigrum. Black Currant.—Lws. 3—5-lobed, punctate beneath, dentate- 
serrate, longer than their petioles; vac. lax, hairy, somewhat nodding; cal. 
campanulate ; bracts nearly equaling the pedicels; fr. roundish-ovoid, nearly 
black.—Native of Europe, &c. Cultivated and esteemed for its medicinal jelly, 
Flowers yellowish.—This species much resembles R. floridum. 
5. R. aureum. Ph. Missouri, or Golden Currant. 
Plant smooth; Ips. 3-lobed, lobes divaricate, entire or with a few large 
teeth ; petioles longer than the leaves; bracts linear, as long as the pedicels; 
rac. lax, many-flowered; cal. tubular, longer than the pedicels, segments ob- 
long, obtuse ; pet. linear ; fr. smooth, oblong or globose, yellow, finally brown, 
—Mo. W. to Oregon. A beautiful shrub, 6—10f high, common in cultivation. 
Flowers numerous, yellow, very fragrant. Apr. May. 
** Spinescent or prickly. GOOSEBERRIES, 
6. R. Cynossiti. Prickly Gooseberry. a 
St. prickly or not; subaxillary spines about in pairs; lvs. cordate, 3—5- 
lobed, softly pubescent, lobes incisely dentate ; rac. nodding, 2—3-flowered ; ca- 
lyx tube ovate-cylindric, longer than the segments; pet. obovate. shorter than 
the calyx segments; berries prickly. A handsome shrub, Northern and West- 
ern States, about 4f high, in hedges and thickets, mostly without prickles, but 
armed with 1—3 sharp spines just below the axilof each leaf. Leaves 14—24’ 
