BOTANY OF THE CURRANTS 479 



racemes, and are nearly odorless. The bush resembles that of 

 B. aureum, and is generally fruitless. It is intermediate between 

 the two species in hardiness, being commonly injured at the 

 Arnold Arboretum,* though reported perfectly hardy at Rochester, 

 N.Y.f 



45. R. MALVACEUM, Smith. (Fig. 106.) 



More rigid and compact than R. sanguineum, 3-6 feet (1-2 

 meters) high, all young parts, including the peduncles and flowers, 

 villous-tomentose and beset with short, glandular -tipped hairs; 

 leaves thick, 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm.) broad, rugose, the upper 

 side hispid, with short, glandular-tipped hairs, under side white 

 tomentose, somewhat 3-5-lobed, finely and doubly serrate; petioles 

 short, but slightly dilated or ciliate at base, sparingly beset with 

 short, glandular hairs, which extend to the veins beneath; racemes 

 short and dense, the flowers small, nearly sessile, yellowish white 

 or flesh colored; bracts ovate-lanceolate, tomentose and glandular; 

 calyx tube narrow, cylindrical, and broadest just above the ovary, 

 lobes small, short, not over half as long as the tube ; petals minute, 

 white, roundish, or subreniform; style shorter than the stamens, 

 undivided, villous; berry oval, % of an inch (8 mm.) long, pur- 

 ple, glaucous, pulp soft and sweet. 



On the coast ranges from San Francisco Bay southward. 



Although resembling E. sanguineum, it is less ornamental than 

 that species, the flowers being much smaller, with less color and 

 borne in shorter and denser racemes. 



46. R. TORTUOSUM, Benth. 



Small, much branched shrub, flowering before the leaves 

 appear; branches short, often tortuous, with smooth, ashy gray 

 bark; leaves few and small, cordate at base, 5-lobed, the younger 

 puberulent; bracts minute, half as long as the pedicels; racemes 

 terminal, %-l inch (12-25 mm.) long, 8-15 -flowered, minutely 

 puberulent, subtended by persistent brown scales ; pedicels spread- 

 ing, 2-4 millimeters long; calyx tube cylindrical, glabrous, about 

 4 millimeters long; lobes ovate, reflexed, half as long as the 

 tube; petals ovate, half as long as the calyx lobes; stamens as 

 long as the petals; style slightly 2 -cleft at apex; fruit small, 

 apparently glandular, black and dry.t 



Confined to southern California. 



* Garden and Forest 6:245. 

 t Horticulturist 1854:142. 



^Described from an imperfect specimen, supplemented by description given 

 by Walpers, Repertorium, 5:822. 



