128 



DESCRIPTIVE BOTANY. 



Order XXIII. SAXIFRAGACE-ffi. 



Flowers perfect, regular, occasionally irregular, variously arranged. 

 Sepals 4-5, more or less cohering, adherent to ovary. Petals 4-5, 

 inserted on the rim of the calyx. Stamens equal to the number of 

 petals alternating with them, or 2 to 10 times as many. Ovary usually 

 more or less inferior. Fruit mostly a 2-celled capsule or berry ; seeds 



small. Leaves alternate or 

 opposite, sometimes whorled. 

 Herbs or shrubs. Number of 

 genera, 73 ; of species, 540. 



RIBES, L. (Cm-rant. Goose- 

 berry.) Calyx tube adherent 

 to the ovary, 5-parted. Petals 

 5. Stamens 5, alternating 

 with the petals. Ovary 1- 

 celled, with 2 opposite parietal 

 placentae. Styles 2 in num- 

 ber. Fruit a succulent berry 

 crowned by a persistent calyx. 

 A shrub. 



1. R. rubrum, L. (Common 

 Red Currant.) Stems numerous, 

 slender, sparingly branched, 2 to 

 4 feet high. Leaves obtusely 

 3-5-lobed, smooth aboA-e, pubes- 

 cent beneath, 2 to 3 inches long, 

 about as wide as long ; unequally 

 toothed, incised ; petioles as long 

 as the leaves. Flowers in pen- 

 dent racemes, not axillary ; bracts 

 ovate ; petals small, greenish- 

 yellow. Berries globular, from 

 two to three tenths of an inch in 

 diameter, red when ripe. Flowers 

 in April ; fruit ripens in June 

 and July. 



The currant sports freely, and 

 many varieties are under cultiva- 

 tion. About 70 varieties are 

 catalogued by American nursery- 

 men, differing from the species in size and quality of the fruit. 



Among tlie favorite varieties are: Cherry, Versailles, Red Dutch, Red 

 (irape, Wbite Dutch. One or all of these may be found in every well-fur- 

 nished garden. 



2. R. floridum, Heretier. (Black Currant.) Like R. rubrum as to habit of 

 the stem. Leaf blunt or subcordate at base, sharply 3-.5-lobed, sprinkled 

 with resinous dots, and doubly serrate. Flowers abundant and showy, white. 

 Fruit ovoid, and black when ripe. Sometimes cultivated for the flowers. 



RiBEs RUBRUM (Commoii Red Currant). 



