BLACK-crKRANT. 241 



much veined, irregularly serrated, of a bright green above, 

 paler beneath, and sprinkled with numerous yellow glands 

 secreting an odorous fluid ; the petioles are tapering, about the 

 length of the leaves, furrowed above, and slightly pubescent. 

 The flowers are disposed in racemes springing from the axils of 

 the leaves of the young branches, pendulous and somewhat 

 pubescent, with slender alternate pedicels, each of which is fur- 

 nished with a small obovate ciliated bractea. The calyx is tubu- 

 lar, and divided at the rim into five ovate, spreading segments, 

 of a paie yellowish green colour. The corolla is composed of 

 five small erect petals of a light green colour, inserted into the 

 throat of the calyx. The stamens are five, inserted alternately 

 with the petals ; the filaments short, straight, tapering ; the 

 anthers compressed, and two-lobed. The germen is roundish, 

 one-celled, surmounted by a cloven style, with a small obtuse 

 stigma. The fruit is a globose berry, crowned with the remains 

 of the flower, black, shining, sprinkled with yellowish dots, one- 

 celled, and filled with pulp. The seeds are numerous, sus- 

 pended among the pulp by long filiform cords, attached to two 

 lateral receptacles ; the testa is externally gelatinous, adhering 

 firmly to the horny albumen. Plate 15, fig. 2, (a) the flower 

 opened to show the stamens ; (6) a single stamen and petal ; 

 (c) the germen ; (d) the ripe fruit. 



This shrub is a native of mountains, woods, and deserts * 

 of the temperate and northern parts of Europe, Asia, and 

 America, but unknown, in common with the whole tribe, to the 

 tropics, Africa, and the South Sea Islands. It grows in woods 

 and by river-sides in many places in Britain, flowering in 

 May and ripening its fruit in July. 



The term Ribes was applied by the Arabian physicians to an 

 acid plant supposed to be a species of Rhubarb, {Rheum ribes,) 

 but Bauhin, who imagined it to be the Gooseberry, denominated 

 that shrub Ribes acidum. The fruit of the Black Currant is 

 sometimes called by the peasantry quinsy berries, on account of 

 its medicinal properties. Currants were originally called co- 

 rinths from their resemblance to the small dried grapes brought 

 from that city. 



* It is very common in some of the Lapland deserts. — Liii. Fl. Lapp. p. 

 70. In Siberia the berries sometimes grow to the size of a hazel nut. 



