VOL. II.] 



SAXIFRAGE FAMILY. 



I8 7 



13. ITEA L. Sp. PI. 199. 1753- 



Shrubs or small trees, with simple alternate petioled deciduous leaves, no stipules, and 

 small white flowers in terminal narrow racemes. Calyx-tube obconic or campanulate, 5- 

 lobed, its base adnate to the ovary. Petals 5, linear, their apices inflexed. Stamens 5, in- 

 serted on the disk. Ovary a-celled; style slender; stigma 2-grooved in our species; ovules 

 few or numerous. Capsule oblong or narrowly conic, 2-valved, several-many-seeded. 

 Seeds narrow, flattish, the testa produced at each end. [Greek for willow, which its leaves 

 resemble.] 



About 5 species, natives of the eastern United 

 States and Asia. The following is the only one 

 known to occur in North America. 



i. Itea Virginica L. Itea. Virginia 

 Willow. (Fig. 1864.) 



Itea Virginica L. Sp. PI. 199. i"53- 



A shrub 4-io high, the twigs and inflores- 

 cence finely pubescent. Leaves short-petioled, 

 narrowly oval, oblanceolate or rarely obovate, 

 i '-3' long, acute or acuminate at the apex, 

 narrowed at the base, sharply serrulate, gla- 

 brous, or with a few hairs along the veins be- 

 neath; racemes terminal, dense, 2 / -6 / long; 

 flowers short-pedicelled; petals linear, erect 

 or slightly spreading, about 2^" long; cap- 

 sule 2-grooved, 2 // ~3 // long, pubescent, nar- 

 row, tipped with the persistent at length 2- 

 parted style. 



In wet places, pine barrens of New Jersey, and 

 eastern Pennsylvania to Florida, west to west- 

 ern North Carolina and Louisiana. May-June. 



Family 40. GROSSULARIACEAE Dumort. Anal. Fam. 37. 1829. 



GOOSEBERRY FAMILY. 



Shrubs, with alternate often fascicled usually lobed petioled leaves, and race- 

 mose or subsolitary axillary or lateral flowers, the pedicels bracteolate. Calyx- 

 tube ovoid, cylindric or hemispheric, adnate to the ovary, the limb 4~5-lobed, 

 often colored. Petals 4-5, inserted on the throat of the calyx, small, scale-like, 

 often included. Stamens 4-5, inserted with the petals, included or exserted. 

 Ovary i -celled; styles 2, distinct or united; ovules few or numerous. Berry 

 globose or ovoid, pulpy, the calyx persistent on its summit. Seeds obscurely 

 angled, their outer coat gelatinous, the inner crustaceous. 



Only the following genus, having the characters of the family. 



i. RIBES L. Sp. PI. 200. 1753. 



About 60 species, natives of the north temperate zone and the Andes of South America, 

 sides the following some 40 others occur in the western parts of North America. 

 Flowers solitary, or 2-4, axillary. 



Native plants of woods or swamps; spines mostly slender. 



Calyx-lobes shorter than the tube; berries more or less spiny. 

 Calyx-tube ovoid-campanulate, green. 

 Calyx-tube tubular, white. 



Calyx-lobes exceeding the tube; berries glabrous. 

 Peduncles slender; stamens long-exserted. 

 Peduncles short; stamens included or little exserted. 

 Stamens not exceeding the oblong calyx-lobes. 

 Stamens somewhat exceeding the linear calyx-lobes. 

 Introduced, escaped from gardens; spines stout, usually 3 together 

 Flowers racemose, small, axillary or lateral. 

 Stems and berries bristly. 

 Stems entirely unarmed. 



Berries red, glandular-bristly. 

 Berries glabrous. 



Racemes erect or ascending; fruit black. 

 Racemes pendulous. 



Calyx-tube cylindric; fruit black. 10. R. floridum. 



Calyx-tube campanulate; fruit red. n. R. rubrum. 



Calyx tubular; fruit red. 12. R. cereum. 



Flowers racemose ; calyx-tube elongated, bright yellow. 13. R. a u reum. 



Be- 



1. R. Cynosbati. 



2. R. setosum. 



3. R. gracile. 



4. R. oxyacanthoid.es. 



5. R. roiundifolium. 



6. R. Uva-cnspa. 



7. R. lacustre. 



8. R. prostratum. 



9. R. Hudsonianum. 



