GOLDEN CURRANT 



This species is rarely cultivated. In general ap- 

 pearance, and in flavor of fruit it resembles the Black 

 Currant, Ribes nigrum, of the garden. It forms a 

 graceful spreading bush, with luxuriant foliage and 

 long, drooping racemes both of flowers and of fruit. 



GOLDEN CURRANT. BUFFALO OR MISSOURI 



CURRANT 



Ribes aureum. 



A bush of long, slender, upright or curving stems, growing 

 along streams. Ranges from Minnesota to Missouri and Texas, 

 westward to Oregon and California. Common in cultivation. 



Leaves. — Alternate or tufted, one to one and a half inches 

 long, simple, palmately veined, three to five-lobed, often broader 

 than long, wedge-shaped or heart-shaped, or rounded at base; 

 lobes rounded, toothed or entire ; midvein and primary veins con- 

 spicuous. They come out of the bud convolute, pale green, downy 

 and shining; when full grown are bright yellow green above, paler 

 green beneath. Leaves of bearing shoots are commonly three 

 lobed ; lobes often short, broad, and entire. The autumnal tint 

 is yellow dashed with red, and they change and drop compara- 

 tively early. 



Flowers. — April, May. Perfect, yellow, cylindrical, borne in 

 short, loose, leafy-bracted racemes. Fragrant, charged with 

 nectar. 



Calyx. — Coherent with the ovary ; bright yellow, smooth ; 

 tube cylindric, one-half to an inch long, with five, spreading, re- 

 curved lobes. 



Corolla. — Petals five, small, yellow with pink tips, inserted on 

 the throat of the calyx. 



Stamens. — Five, inserted on the calyx throat and alternate with 

 the petals, slightly exserted. 



Pistil. — Ovary inferior, one-celled ; style long and slender, ex- 

 serted ; stigma capitate. 



Fruit. — Globose berry, black, sometimes yellowish black, 

 glabrous, shining, crowned with the remnant of the calyx, in- 

 sipid. August. 



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