326 RIBES. [CLASS V. ORDER I. 



A low much branched shrub, with a smooth cuticle cracking and 

 curling up, as in the last species. Leaves alternate, on channeled 

 hairy footstalks, three or five lobed, smooth, or somewhat scattered 

 over with hairs, a pale glaucous green beneath, with three or five 

 mid-ribs and numerous small lateral veins, the margins doubly serrated. 

 Inflorescence erect axillary racemes, which are recurved and pendant 

 when in fruit, the stalks more or less scattered over with short glandular 

 hairs, partial stalks short, arising from a small ovate membranous 

 edged bractea, which soon falls away, and frequently there are one or 

 two small scales beneath the flowers. Calyx cup-shaped, with five 

 spreading flat obtuse or acute segments, smooth, or sometimes with a 

 slightly ciliated margin, green, or with a pinkish tinge. Corolla of 

 five small spatulate segments fixed into the tube of the calyx between 

 the segments. Stamens five, alternating with the petals on short 

 filaments. The anthers of two oblong cells, bursting longitudinally. 

 Style short. Stigma of two spreading lobes. Berry small, smooth, 

 with several obscure ribs, globose, bright red, acid, crowned by the 

 persistent withered flower. Seeds numerous, similar to the above 

 species. 



Habitat. —Woods in the North of England and Scotland ; rare. 

 Eggelston, and near Conscliff"e, Durham ; Scots Wood Dean, North- 

 umberland ; near Airy Castle, and by the Spey side, at Aviemore, 

 Scotland. 



Shrub ; flowering in May and June. 



3. JR. spica'tum, Robson. (Fig. 395.) acid Mountain Currant, 

 " Spikes upright in flower and in fruit; flowers nearly sessile; petals 

 oblong ; bracteas shorter than the flowers." 



English Botany, t. 1290.— English Flora, vol. i. p. 332.— Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 122. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 106. 



" This has the habit of the two foregoing species, but diff"ers from 

 both in the extreme shortness of the partial ^ojwr stalks, rendering the 

 inflorescence a spike rather than a cluster, which, moreover, is erect 

 both in flower and fruit. If these characters be not constant, the 

 present species probably belongs to R. petrceum, which seems scarcely 

 credible." 



Habitat. — Woods near Richmond, Yorkshire; and formerly near 

 Gainsford, Durham. — Mr. G. Robson. 



Shrub; flowering in May. 



This plant we are not acquainted with, except from the works above 

 quoted ; the description and remarks are from Smith. 



4. R. alpi'num, Linn. (Fig. 396.) tasteless Mountain Currant. 

 Racemes with glandular hairs, erect both in flower and fruit ; flowers 

 plain, smooth, shorter than the lanceolate bractea; leaves beneath pale 

 and shining. 



