88 



much larger in propostion to the flower than is usual in the 

 genus, and tipped with a distinct blue mucro. 



This species is abundant about Los Gatos, Santa Clara county, where it 

 blooms early in March. It was also collected near Santa Rosa, Sonoma county, 

 in 1902. I collected it this season under the impression that it was R. Caliior- 

 fiicum, but upon referring- to the description of that species by Greene in Fl. 

 Franciscana, 201, various differences were noted. Turning to Torrey and Gray, 

 Fl. N. A. i: 54S, our plant was found to agree with their description of R. occi- 

 denfale, and I think the species should be recognized. The following descrip- 

 tion was drav/n up from fresh material: 



Shrub i-2m. high, often growing in dense symmetrical clumps: the branches 

 zigzag, rigid, young growth puberulent: subaxillary spines ternate, straight, 

 rather stout, about icm. long: leaves bright green, broadly ovate-orbicular, 

 truncate or cordate at base, variable in size, the largest about 2cm across, more 

 or less 5-lobed, the lobes somewhat incised, glabrous, but the petioles of about 

 icm. more or less pubescent with downwardly pointed hairs: peduncles almost 

 filiform, icm. or more in length, usually drooping, puberulent, bearing 1-2 flow- 

 ers: pedicels short, about 3mm. pubescent, each subtended by a small round- 

 ovate short-acuminate ciliate bract of less than 2mm. which is almost connate- 

 perfoliate: calyx tube about 3mm. long, almost tubular, only slightly enlarged 

 above, greenish with a tinge of red, the oblong-lanceolate acute reflexed seg- 

 ments about 7mm. long, 2mm. wide, reddish below, greenish above: petals 

 white, about 4mm. long, strongly involute, truncate and slightly erose at apex: 

 filaments 8mm. long; anthers lance-oblong, a little less than 2mm., mucronate, 

 pale yellow: style 9mm. long, cleft almost to the middle: berry globose, about 

 6mm. in diameter, wine-red, sparingly armed with red spines but not glandular. 



24. Ribes oligacanthuin Eastw. Proc. Cal. Acad. III. Bot. 

 3: 246.//. 24.f.8a. 8b. 

 Erect, branching shrub with the younger stems puberulent, 

 older gray-brown, not shreddy, somewhat tortuous, unarmed, 

 except for the simple or triple thorns at the leaf-axils; these 

 often short and abortive. Leaves broadly ovate or orbicular, 

 three- to five-lobed, 2-3cm. wide and about as long, with margin 

 laciniate-dentate, base truncate, but cuneate where it joins the 

 petiole, glabrous; petioles slender, as long as or twice as long as 

 the blades, glabrous or puberulent; stipular dilation twice as 

 wide as the petiole, ciliate with white, silky hairs. Peduncles 

 filiform, one- to three-flowered, i-2cm. long; pedicels almost as 

 long, together becoming 4cm. long, slightly puberulent; bracts 



