54 * TWELFIH ANNUAL REPORT. 



SAXIFRAGACE^. Saxifrage Family. 



RIBES, L. Currant. Gooseberry. 



K. Cyaosbati, L. Prickly Wild Gooseberry. 



Oommon, often abundant, throughout the state. Much used, (as also the follow- 

 ing smooth species,) before fully ripening, for sauce. 



[Of R. setosum, Lindl., Prof. Gray writes; " I suspect that this species inhabits the 

 northwestern shore of lake Superior. Botanists visiting that district should look for 

 a species with pure white flowers, a half inch or less in lenglh, with cylindrical tube, 

 and stamens decidedly shorter than the lobes. ... It takes its name from the 

 slender scattered prickles on the branches ; but these are sometimes wanting, this 

 being an inconstant character in all the species. The young berries are either perfect- 

 ly smooth and naked, or beset with a few bristly prickles. This is the R oxyacan- 

 thoides of Hooker's Flora, but certainly not of Linnaeus. It belongs to the Saskatchewan 

 region, extending into Montana and Wyoming." American Naturalist, vol. x, pp. 271-2. 



R. oxyacauthoides, L. (R. hirtellum, Michx.) Smooth Wild Gooseberry. 

 Common throughout the state, excepting perhaps southward, in which direction it 

 extends at least to Goodhue county, Sandberg, Faribault, Miss Beane, and Fergus Falls, 

 Leonard. 



R. rotuiirtifolhim, Michx. Smooth Wild Gooseberry. 



Notes by observers using Gray's Manual give this as common through the south half 

 of the state, and less frequent northward to the St. Louis river, Mrs. Herriclt, and Grand 

 Marais, north of lake Superior, Roherts. Further investigation is needed, however, 

 to decide whether R. rotundifolium occurs in Minnesota. Just as this is being 

 printed, I learn from Mr. Arthur that Prof. Gray decides specimens of the common 

 smooth wild gooseberry in Iowa (before regarded as R. rotundifolium) to be R. gracile, 

 Michx. "R. rotundifolium Michx. is a species of the Alleghany Mountains, ranging 

 northward and eastward into New York and the western borders of Massachusetts." 

 (Gray in American Naturalist, vol. x.) Probably most, or perhaps all, of the supposed 

 observations of this species in Minnesota belong instead to the next. 



R. jyracile, Michx. (H. Missouriense, Nutt.)* Missouri Goosaberry. 

 Lapham. See remarks under the preceding species. 



R. lacustre, Poir. Swamp Wild Gooseberry. 



Lapham. North of lake Superior, J uni, Roberts. North. 



R. prostratuiu, L'Her. Fetid Currant. Skunk Currant. 



Common north of lake Superior, Juni, Roberts ; St. Louis river, Mrs. Hcrricli; upper 

 Mississippi river. Garrison, North. 



R. floritlum, L'Her. . Wild Black Currant. 



Common, or frequent, throughout the state. 

 R. rubrum, L. Red Currant. 



Fre(iuent through the north half of the state ; extending south to southeastern 

 PIlb county and Benton county, Upham, Fish-hook lake, Ca,ss county, Garrison, and 

 Fergus Falls, Leonard. 



R. aureum, Pursh. Buft'alo Currant. Missouri Currant. 

 Escaped from gardens : Ma,n\i.a,to, Leihera; Minneapolis, Kassuhe. 



*RiBES GBACiLE, Michx. Flowers 1 to 4 on the slender peduncle, white or whitish, 

 narrow, with calyx-lobes longer than the tube and shorter than the half-inch stamens ; 

 filaments almost capillary, generally connivent or clo.sely parallel, and soon consiucu- 

 ously longer than the oblong-linear calyx-lobes ; flower with barely a slight tinge of 

 green ; berry smooth, large, purple, prized in cultivation under the name of Missouri 

 Gooseberry. It ranges from Tennessee and Illinois to the northern borders of Texas, 

 and northwestward into the Rocky Mountains. Graij in America)i Naturalist, vol. x. 



