AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



303 



RIBBON GRASS. See Phalaris arundiiiacea 

 variegata. 



RIBBON-TREE. See Plagianthus. 



RIBES (an Arabic name, properly belonging to a 

 species of Rheum; Grossularia was, according to Dr. 

 Asa Gray, the proper name to have been adopted for 

 the genus). Currant ; Gooseberry. Including Calobotrya, 

 Chrysobotrya, and Grossularia. OBD. Saxifrages. A 

 genus comprising about fifty-six species of hardy, de- 

 ciduous shrubs, often resinous - glandular, unarmed, or 

 with spines beneath the axils or scattered; they are 

 natives of Europe, temperate Asia and America, and 

 the Andes of South America. Flowers white, yellow, 

 red, or green, rarely purple, often unisexual by abortion, 

 racemose or sub - solitary ; calyx tube ovoid or spherical, 

 adnate to the ovary; limb tubular or campanulate, four 

 or five-fid, often coloured, the lobes erect or incurved, 

 imbricated or sub-valvate ; petals four or five, inserted 

 at the throat of the calyx, small, scale-like, usually 

 included ; stamens four or five, inserted with the 

 petals ; pedicels bracteate at base and bibracteolate in 

 the middle. Berries oblong or globose, pulpy, crowned 

 by the calyx, one-celled, many-seeded. Leaves scattered, 

 often fascicled, petiolate, simple, entire or often lobed, 

 crenate, or cut, plicate or convolute in vernation ; stipules 

 adnate to the petioles or wanting. A great many of 

 the plants have been introduced; those best known in 

 garden are described below. Four species are in- 

 cluded in the British Flora. Spring is the flowering 

 period. There is but little difliculty in propagating and 

 growing any of the species. They root readily from cut- 

 tings or layers, and succeed in almost any ordinary garden 

 soil. See also Currant and Gooseberry. 



FUNGI. These are not, on the whole, very destructive 

 to the shrubs of this genus. The dead roots and 

 stems provide suitable food for Nectria Ribis, and for 

 other Pyrenomycetea ; but these need not be discussed 

 here. The living leaves of Gooseberries frequently, 

 and of Currants occasionally, show orange or reddish, 

 swollen spots, on which are numerous little pits or 

 cups, filled with the small spores of JEcidium Grossu- 

 laria}. This Fungus also attacks the fruits, and may do 

 a good deal of harm, but is not usually very injurious. 

 The diseased leaves and fruits should be picked off as 

 soon as the orange spots are observed. Less often, the 

 leaves bear small, dark brown masses, which, on exa- 

 mination with the microscope, are found to be made up 

 of brown spores, each consisting of two cells, and borne 

 on a pale stalk attached to one end of the spore. This 

 Fungus is named Puccinia Ribis. Another Fungus is 

 common and destructive to the leaves of species of 

 Ribes on the Continent of Europe. It appears in the 

 form of yellow, raised spots on the lower surface of the 

 leaves, often so numerous as almost to overspread them, 

 and, in time, to destroy them. These spots are covered 

 with the round, one-celled spores of Cceoma Ribesii. 



The leaves of Gooseberries and of Currants are often 

 marked with discoloured spots, which become dry and 

 withered. In these are generally to be seen minute, 

 black spots, which, under the microscope, are found to 

 be pycnidia with minute sporidia. Those on Currants 

 belong to forms known by the names of Glceosporium 

 Ribis and Septoria Ribis, and those on Gooseberries 

 have received the name of Septoria Grossularice. They 

 are all, probably, young stages of true Pyrenomycetes, of 

 which one, Sphcerella Ribis, has been recorded from 

 similar spots. These Fungi seldom do serious injury. 

 The most successful treatment is to pick off and burn 

 the leaves that show the spots, and the same holds 

 good of the Puccinia and the Gaeoma mentioned above. 

 The leaves of Gooseberries are frequently covered with 

 a thin, white coating, which, after a time, becomes 

 studded with small, black grains, like gunpowder. This 



Ribes continued. 



is due to the growth of a Mildew (which see), known 

 as Microsphcera Grossularice. The white coat is com- 

 posed of the mycelium and conidia (see Oidium). The 

 black specks are perithecia, which bear ten to fifteen 

 transparent outgrowths, bifurcated about three times. 

 Each perithecium incloses from four to eight asci, which 

 contain four or five spores. Flowers of sulphur and solu- 

 tion _ of potassium sulphide, employed as advised under 

 Oidium, are the best remedies, should any be needed. 



INSECTS, &c. The animals most injurious to plants 

 of this genus have been briefly treated of under the 

 headings Currant and Gooseberry; and several of 

 them have received somewhat fuller notice under the 

 headings mentioned below. The young twigs of Currants 

 are often bored into and killed by the larvae of the 

 Currant Clearwing Moth (which see). The infested 

 branches may be detected by the drooping of the leaves 

 and should be cut off, with the larvae in them, and 

 burned. 



FIG. 374. GOOSEBERRY AND CURRANT SAWFLY (Nematus Ribesii) 

 a, Lines to show actual spread of wings and length of body. 



The buds of Black Currants (R. nigrum) are, in some 

 localities, tenanted by Mites (Phytoptus Ribis), which 

 cause them to enlarge, but destroy the shoots ; and the 

 bushes are thus rendered useless, and may be killed. 

 The swollen buds should be removed, and destroyed ; 

 and, if the attack is severe, the bushes should be up- 

 rooted, and burned, and others should not be planted in 

 the same soil for two or three years (see Mites). 



The leaves of Gooseberries, and of Currants of several 

 kinds, suffer very seriously from the attacks, of the 

 larvaa of the Gooseberry or Mag-pie Moth (which 

 see) ; and, to a less degree, from those of the V-Moth 

 (Halia or Phalcena Wavaria). The appearance of the 

 former, and the remedies against the larvae, are spe- 

 cified under the heading quoted above. The V-Moth also 

 belongs to the Geometers, and resembles the Magpie 

 Moth in form ; but the spread of wings does not exceed 

 Hin., and the colour is grey, with a purplish gloss, and 

 brownish hind margins to the wings. Along the front 

 margin, each fore wing bears numerous short streaks, 

 and four spots of dark brown. The second spot joins 

 with a dark spot in the centre of the wing, so as to 

 form a V (hence the popular name of the moth), with 

 its tip directed from the body. The moth appears in 

 July; the larvae are most conspicuous about May. They 

 are cylindrical, with slight dilatations along the sides. 

 The head is lead-coloured, with dark markings; and 

 the body varies from dull green to lead-colour, but 

 always shows wavy, smoke-coloured lines lengthwise, 

 and a row of pale yellow spots along each side; in each 



