CACTEiE. VIII. RHIPSALIS. GROSSULARIE^E. I. RIBES. 



177 



joints lateral, crowded, terete, attenuated at both ends, clouded, 

 bearing the flowers in the middle ; fascicles of capillaceous bristles 

 white or pale, but when old and faded black ; flowers solitary. 

 fj.D. S. Native of South America. Christy, in bot. mag. 3878. 

 C. salicornioides /3, Haw. suppl. p. 83. Joints at the sides of 

 the branches numerous, crowded, and nearly erect. Flowers 

 solitary, rising from the middle, not from the tops of the joints, 

 white. Fruit a white berry, smaller than those of R. Cassfltha. 

 Fig-marigold-like Rhipsalis. Fl. Ju. Jul. Clt. 1817. Sh. $ ft. 



9 R. PARASITICA (D. C. prod. 3. p. 476.) plant pendulous, 

 branched, glabrous ; branches striated, or undulately repand. 



jj . D. S. Native of the West India Islands. Plum. ed. Burm. t. 

 197. f. 2. Flowers like those of R. dichotoma. This species is 

 hardly known, but distinct from the others in the stem being 

 repand in an undulating manner. 

 Parasitic Rhipsalis. Shrub 1 foot. 



10 R.? MICRA'KTHA (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 6. p. 

 65. under Cactus) plant glabrous, pendulous, branched ; branches 

 with 3-4 angles, or compressedly 2-edged ; flowers rising from 

 the angles. ^ . D. S. Native of Quito, in groves, near Olleros. 

 Flowers white, minute. 



Small-flowered Rhipsalis. Shrub foot. 



Cult. This is a genus of singular plants, but without much 

 beauty. Being parasites, on trees, they grow best in vegetable 

 mould, mixed \vith a little brick rubbish ; and they are easily 

 increased by cuttings. 



ORDER CXVIII. GROSSULARIE^E (this order only con- 

 tains the genus Ribes, or gooseberry tribe). D. C. fl. fr. (1804) 

 4. p. 406. H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 6. p. 58. Berlandier, 

 mem. soc. phys. gen. 3. pt. 2. p. 43. t. 1-3. D. C. prod. 3. p. 

 477._Ribesiae, Ach. Rich. bot. med. (1823) 2. p. 487. Genera 

 ofCacteas, Juss. Genus of Saxifrageae, Vent. Genus of Por- 

 tulacese, Adans. 



Calyx superior (f. 32. d. f. 33. 6.) ; limb 4-5-parted (f. 33.6. 

 f. 32. .), regular, coloured. Petals 5, inserted in the throat of 

 the calyx (f. 33. c.), and alternating with its segments, equal. 

 Stamens 4-5 (f. 33. c.), very rarely 6, very short, inserted alter- 

 nately with the petals, equal ; filaments conical or cylindrical, 

 distinct : anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise on the inside ; but 

 in the varieties of R. rubrum they burst laterally and trans- 

 versely. Ovarium 1 -celled, with 2 opposite parietal placentas; 

 ovula numerous. Style one, 2 (f. 32. c. f. 33. e.~) -3 or 4-cleft. 

 Fruit succulent (f. 32. e.), nearly globose, umbilicate at the apex 

 from the permanent calyx (f. 32. d.), 1-celled, many-seeded. 

 Seeds arillate, suspended by a long filiform podosperm ; outer 

 integument gelatinous or juicy, and membranous : under one a 

 very thin membrane, adhering closely to the albumen ; bluntish 

 at the extremity opposite the hylum. Albumen horny, conform- 

 ing to the seed, white- Embryo minute, placed at the sharpest 

 end of the seed, excentral, with a blunt radicle, which is placed 

 next the hilum Unarmed or spiny shrubs. Leaves alternate, 

 lobed or cut, plaited while in the bud. There is one bractea at 

 the base of each pedicel, which is cut more or less, and two 

 much smaller ones called bracteoles under each ovarium. Flowers 

 greenish, white, yellow or red, very rarely unisexual. 



This order was formerly confounded with Cdctece : notwith- 

 standing the dissimilarity of their appearance they are most 

 closely related ; the principal differences between the two orders 



VOL. III. 



are, that in Cdctece the stamens are indefinite, the seeds without 

 albumen, and the calyx and corolla undistinguishable ; while in 

 Grossulariece the stamens are definite, the seeds albuminous, and 

 the calyx and corolla distinct. There are spines in both orders, 

 and some of the Cdctece have distinct leaves. 



The properties of the gooseberry and currant are those of the 

 generality of the order, except that in other species a mawkish 

 or extremely acid taste is substituted for the refreshing and 

 agreeable flavour of the former. Some are emetic. The black 

 currant, which is tonic and stimulant, has fragrant glands upon 

 its leaves and flowers ; these reservoirs are also found upon some 

 other species. Malic acid exists in currants and gooseberries. 

 Turner, 634. 



I. RTBES (the name of an acid plant mentioned by the Ara- 

 bian physicians, which has been discovered to be the Rheum 

 Ribes}. Lin. gen. 281. Berlandier, mem. soc. phys. gen. 3. pt. 

 2. p. 43. t. 1-3. and D. C. prod. 3. p. 477. Grossularia, 

 Tourn. Gsertn. 



LIN. SYST. Pentdndria, Monogijnia. Character the same as 

 the order. 



SECT. I. GROSSULA'RIA (a dim. of grossus, thick ; meaning a 

 gooseberry bush ; the species contained in this section all bear 

 gooseberries). Ach. Rich. 1. c. Berlandier, 1. c. t. 1. Stems 

 usually prickly (f. 32.). Peduncles 1-2-3 -flowered. Calyx more 

 or less campanulate (f. 32. a.). Leaves plicate. 



* Flowers greenish. 



1 R. OXYACANTHOI'DES (Lin. spec. 291.) plant prickly and 

 bristly, nakedish ; spines 1 or 3, joined at the base ; leaves cor- 

 date, 5-lobed, serrated, often pubescent beneath, and on the 

 petioles ; peduncles very short, usually 2-flowered ; tube of calyx 

 glabrous, hairy inside, with a spreading limb, which is longer 

 than the obovate petals ; germs and pedicels naked, y. . H. 

 Native of North America throughout Canada, and as far as the 

 Saskatchawan, and of Newfoundland. Berlandier, I.e. t. 1. f. 

 1. The shrub varies much in the aculei and spines, in their 

 number and colour, and in the more or less dense ramification, 

 and pubescence. Mr. Drummond says, the fruit of this species 

 is much like the common gooseberry, and is equally agreeable, 

 either of a red or green colour. 



Hawthorn-like Gooseberry. Fl. May, June. Sh. 3 to 4 ft. 



2 R. SETOSUM (Lindl. bot. reg. t. 1237. Hook. fl. bor. amer. 

 1. p. 230.) branches beset with dense bristles ; prickles unequal, 

 subulate ; leaves roundish, cordate at the base, pubescent, 3-5- 

 lobed, deeply crenated ; peduncles 2-flowered, rather bracteate; 

 calyx tubularly campanulate, with the segments linear, obtuse, 

 and spreading, twice the length of the petals, which are entire ; 

 berries hispid. Tj . H. Native of North America, on the banks 

 of the Saskatchawan. 



Bristly Gooseberry. Fl. May, April. Clt. 1810. Shrub 4 

 to 5 feet. 



3 R. TRIFLORUM (Willd. hort. berol. t. 61.) prickles wanting; 

 spines usually solitary ; leaves cordate, 5-lobed, serrated, gla- 

 brous ; peduncles elongated, 2-3-flowered ; tube of calyx nar- 

 row, cylindrical, glabrous, with a spreading limb, which after- 

 wards becomes reflexed; stamens exserted; ovarium naked. 



J? . H. Native of North America, in mountainous situations to 

 the west of the Rocky Mountains ; and of Pennsylvania. Ber- 

 landier, 1. c. t. 1. f. 4. R. stamineum, Horn. hort. hafn. p. 237. 

 Berry reddish, glabrous. The species seems to be easily dis- 

 tinguished from/?. Cynosbati by the constantly smooth fruit, very 

 narrow flowers, and exserted stamens. 

 Aa 



