STANDLEY TREES AND SHRUBS OF MEXICO. 313 



54. ESCALLONIACEAE. Escallonia Family. 

 1. PHYLLONOMA Willd. ; Roeni. & Sohult. Syst. Ves- 6: 210. 1820. 

 Reference: Rusby, N. Aiuer. Fl. 22: 191. 1905. 

 1. Phyllonoma laticuspis (Turcz.) Engl, in Engl. & Prantl, Pflanzeufam. 3'": 

 87. 1890. 

 Dulongia laticuspis Turcz. Bull. Soc. Nat. Moscou 31 ': 454. 1858. 

 Durango to Chiapas; type from Oaxaca. 



Shrub or small tree with slender branches, glabrous ; leaves alternate, estip- 

 ulate, petlolate, lanceolate, 4 to 8 cm. long, long-acuminate, serrate; flowers 

 very small, in small cymes borne upon the upper surface of the leaf; fruit 

 small, baccate. " Hierba de la viruela " (Oaxaca). 



The plant has a high reputation as a remedy for smallpox. This species has 

 been reported from Mexico as P. ruscifoUa. 



55. GROSSULARIACEAE. Gooseberry Family. 



Reference: Coville & Britton, N. Amer. Fl. 22: 193-225. 1908. 



Usually erect shrubs, spiny or unarmed ; leaves alternate, petlolate, decidu- 

 ous or persistent, lobed or toothed ; flowers small, racemose, perfect ; sepals 

 and petals each 5 ; stamens 5, opposite the sepals ; fruit a globose 1-celIed berry, 

 several or many-seeded. 



The fruit of all the Mexican species is edible, but it varies greatly in 

 quality. 



Plants without spines; pedicels jointed below the ovary 1. RIBES. 



Plants with spines ; pedicels not jointed 2. GROSSULARIA. 



1. RIBES L. Sp. PI. 201. 1753. 

 Unarmed (in the Mexican species) shrubs; leaves palmately veined, usually 

 lobed, commonly deciduous ; racemes feAV to many-flowered ; pedicel often bear- 

 ing a pair of bractlets below the joint ; fruit never spiny. 



The best-known plant of the genus is Ribes rulgare Lam., the garden currant, 

 which is cultivated for its sour red fruit. It is a native of Europe. The 

 native American currants all have edible fruit which, however, is usually of 

 sweetish and insipid flavor. The plants seem to be little used in medicine. 

 A decoction of the roots of R. americanum Mill, is said to be employed by the 

 Omaha and Winnebago Indians for renal and uterine affections. 



Ovary with sessile glands; leaves not lobed, evergreen 1. R. viburnifolium. 



Ovary without glands or with stipitate glands ; leaves lobed, deciduous. 

 Anthers witliout a cup-shaped apical gland. 

 Calyx tube glabrous, yellow, 3 or more times as long as thick. 



Flowers sessile or nearly so 10. R. chihuahuense. 



Flowers pedicellate 11. R. fontinale. 



Calyx tube pubescent, not yellow, or if so less than twice as long as thick. 

 Axis of the raceme straight and stiff, 1 cm. long or shorter ; leaves with- 

 out glands 12. R. tortuosum. 



Axis of the raceme flexuous, elongate ; leaves usually with glands. 



Leaves with sessile scattered amber-colored waxlike glands on both 



surfaces 13. R. nelsoni. 



Leaves with stipitate glands. 



Ovary glabrous 14. R. brandegei. 



Ovary with gland-tipped hairs. 



Flowers pink or purple, 8 to 10 mm. long ; pedicels 2 to 5 mm. long. 



15. R. malvaceum. 



