CHAPTER XVIII 



THE BOTANY OF THE GROSELLES 



In order that the student may have the fnll range of 

 the subject in mind, an attempt is here made to classify 

 and describe all the species of Eibes which are native to 

 the United States and Canada or which are cultivated 

 here. If so great progress has been made in the amelio- 

 ration of a very few species, what may not the future 

 hold for the plant -breeder! 



In the following account I have attempted to give my 

 impressions of the botanical relationship of the plants 

 of the genus. The view obtained has of necessity been 

 limited and doubtless oftentimes distorted. It has been 

 confined for the most part to herbarium material, and 

 this, useful as it is for purposes of study, will some- 

 times mislead. In some cases not even this source of 

 aid was available. More complete study will doubtless 

 change many of the opinions expressed, dropping some 

 forms here classed as species and admitting others not 

 here recognized. In general I have little sympathy with 

 the present tendency to accept species which are based 

 on slight differences, and I have endeavored to avoid 

 recognizing such, if the material and information at 

 hand would admit. Yet as the study has progressed, I 

 have felt like attaching less and less importance to the 

 question of species. The oneness of t-he vegetable king- 



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