140 PENTAXDRIA. MONOGYNIA, 



is confined to North America, with the exception of a 3d 

 species said to grow in Madaijascar? The root is emetic 

 and cathartic. 



ffff Flowers pentapetalouSf superior. 



9A7. RIBES. L. (Currant and Gooseberry.) 



Co/ix superior, campanulate, 5-cleft. Petals 

 and stamina inserted upon the calix. Stijle bi- 

 fid. Berry many-seeded. 



A genus of shrubs, with alternate lobed leaves, con- 

 sisting of two natural sections. First, Grossularia 

 (Gooseberry) with simple or divided axillary thorns; pe- 

 duncles few -flowered, fruit larger. Second, Ribesia 

 (Currant), without axillary thorns; flowers in racemes. 

 •^Fruit mostly edible and subacid. 



Species. § i. Ribesia. — 1. J?, albinerviwn. 2. trijldum. 

 ^.rigens. A. prostratwn. 5.resiiiosu7n. Q.viscosissiinum. Ph. 

 7. sanguincuin. 8. aureutn. Flowers highly odorous in one 

 of the varieties; berries larger or smaller, red, fulvous, 

 and black, the latter of these colours is that which is natu- 

 ral. 9 recurvatum. \0. pensylvanicvin. Apparently a per- 

 manent variety of H. nigrum. — § ii. Grosstilaria. 

 (Gooseberry.) W. rotwidij^tium. 12. hirteUwn. 13- gracile. 

 14. trijioriwi- 15. oxycanthoides. 16. lacustris'^ Axillary 

 spines none? Stem very hispid (as in Robinia hispida) 

 leaves deeply cut, Slobed, smooth, segments unequally 

 cleft, and toothed; racemes few-flowered, rather long and 

 pendulous; berries roundish-ovoid, hairy, black. — Pubes- 

 cence ferruginous, berries sour, rather insipid. Hab. In 

 dark and swampy forests amongst rocks, on the islands 

 of lake Huron, near Michilimakinak. \7- Cynosbati. 



Nearly all the species of this interesting genus are al- 

 pine. In the north of Europe there are 6 species (all of 

 them spontaneous in Britain;) 5 in Siberia, 2 of them in 

 Dauria, 1 upon the granitic mountains of Songaria, and 2 

 others also discovered by Pallas upon the loftiest summits 

 of the Mongolian chain; there are 6 other species of this 

 genus indigenous to the Andes of Peru and Chili. 



Scarcely any of the American species ofRibes produce 

 fruit in England, 



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