wh 4 
INFERTILE HYBRIDS, 205 
The bark of the gooseberry shoots is light grey. The internodes of 
young, strong shoots (fig. 47) are thickly studded with slender prickles, 
the largest being } to 2? inch long and fairly persistent. Fruit-bearing 
twigs (fig. 47 a) are destitute of them. 
The shoots of the flowering currant (fig. 47 ¢) are dark red and coated 
with a greyish bloom. The buds are large and protected by bright red 
scale-leaves. 
Fic. 47.—a, GoosEBERRY, Orpinary Twic; 6, Drrro, Srronc YounG SuHoor; 
c, GOOSEBERRY x FLOWERING Currant, Orpinary Twic; d, Dirro, STRONG 
Youne SuHoot; e, Fuowerinc Currant, Ornpinary SHoor. Navruran SIze. 
The young shoots of the hybrid (fig. 47d) are rich brown and well 
studded with prickles, the longest being | inch, the majority shorter. 
They are rather less persistent than the gooseberry ones. The twigs 
borne on the older ordinary branches (fig. 47c) are much finer, rather 
redder, and without prickles. 
The strong “spines’’ at the nodes, so characteristic of the goose- 
berry, never occur in the hybrid. 
The leaves, in respect of size, lie almost in the mean between the 
parent leaves, but in texture there seems to be a decided leaning towards 
the pollen-parent. Their minute structure has not been studied. 
This hybrid has shown no inclination to flower, although now seven 
years old. It is in perfect health. 
