EIBESTACE^. 225 



XXXII. THE RISES FAMILY. EIBESIACE.E. 



This family is identical with the Linnean genus Biles, and 

 nearly allied to the exotic shrubby genera of the Saxifrage 

 family, but maintained as distinct on account of the succulent 

 fruit with parietal placentas, and the union of the styles at the 

 base, indicating some approach to the Cactus family. 



I. RIBES. EIBES. 



Shnihs, with alternate, palmately veined or lobed leaves, no stipules, and 

 axillary flowers in racemes, or rarely solitary. Calyx adherent to the ovary 

 at the base, the limb divided into 4 or 5 segmerts. Petals as many, very 

 small and scale-hke, inserted at the base of the segments of the calyx. Sta- 

 mens as many. Ovary inferior, 1-ceUed, with many ovules inserted ou 

 2 parietal placentas. Style deeply divided into 2 or 4 lobes. Fruit a 

 berry, filled with juicy pulp, in which the seeds are suspended by long 

 stalks. Albumen horny, with a small, straight embryo. 



A genus spread over the whole of the temperate regions of the northern 

 hemisphere. The species are most numerous in north-western America, and 

 a small number extend down the Andes to the southern extremity of that 

 continent. 



Stems prickly. Peduncles 1- or 2-flowered 1. Gooseberry B. 



Stems unarmed. Flowers in racemes. 

 Flowers all complete. 



Leaves inodorous. Pedicels all short. Fruit red or white . . 2. Cicrrant B. 

 Leaves strongly scented. Lowest pedicels of each raceme longer 



than the upper ones. Fruit black 4. Black B. 



Flowers dioecious. Fruit red 3. Mountain B. 



The scarlet Riles and several others, now frequent in our shi-ubberies, are 

 natives of north-western America. 



1. Gooseberry Ribes. Ribes Grossularia, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1292, and R. Uva-crwpa, Eng. Bot. t. 2057.) 



A much branched but rather weak shrub, 3 or 4 feet high, with nume- 

 rous palmately spreading prickles, either single or 2 or 3 together. Leaves 

 small, orbicular, palmately divided into 3 or 5 crenated lobes, more or less 

 hairy on both sides. Flowers green, hanging singly or in pau's on short 

 pedicels fi-om httle tufts of young leaves. Calyx-tube shortly campanu- 

 late, the segments oblong, about twice the length of the petals. Berry of 

 the wild plant rather small and yellowish, sprinkled with stift' hairs, but in 

 cultivation varying much in size and colour, and often quite glabrous. 



In thickets, open woods, and hedges, in the rocky parts of central and 

 southern Eiu-ope, and western Asia. In Britain, well estabhshed in many 

 places, in hedges and even wilder places, but scarcely indigenous, having 

 been abundantly cultivated iu cottage-gardens for several centuries. Fl. 

 early spring. 



2. Currant Ribes. Ribes rubrnm, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1289, and R. petrceicm, t. 705. Red and TFhite Currants.) 

 An erect, brandling shrub, 3 or 4 feet high, without prickles. Leaves 

 on rather long stalks, much larger and thinner than those of the Goose- 



