226 THE EIBES FAMILT. 



lerry i?,, with 3 or 5 rather short and broad-toothed lobes, glabrous, or 

 more frequently sprinkled with a few minute hairs on the upper surface, 

 and more or less downy underneath. Flowers small, greenish-white, several 

 together in axillary racemes at the base of the year's shoots. These racemes 

 are either erect or pendulous when in flower, but almost always pendulous 

 when in fruit ; the pedicels all short, and do not commence at the very base 

 of the raceme as iu the hlack R., each pedicel being in the axil of a small 

 bract. Calyx-segments broadly spreadhig, obovate or rounded, twice tlie 

 length of tlie small petals. Berries red when wild, varying in cultivation 

 from red to white. 



In rocky woods, in northern and central Europe and Kussian Asia, ex- 

 tending to the Arctic Circle, but replaced in southern Europe and central 

 Asia by the Ji. petrcetim. Frequent in Scotland, the nortli of England, and 

 occurs also in some parts of southern England and Ireland, but it has been 

 BO long and so generally cultivated, that it is difficult to say how far it is 

 really indigenous. FL spring. A variety with more upright racemes has 

 been falsely referred to the Continental R. petrcetim, and another with the 

 flowers almost sessile has been distinguished as R. spicattim fEue. Bot. 

 t. 1290). 



3. Mountain Ribes. Ribes alpinum, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 704.) 



Very near the Currant R., but the leaves are smaller, more deeply divided, 

 smooth and shining, and glabrous underneath ; the flowers much smaller 

 and always dicecious ; the males ratJier numerous, in little, erect racemes, of 

 1 to li inches ; the pedicels slender, but not quite so long as the bracts ; the 

 fenmles, on separate slirubs, much fewer together, in very short racemes, and 

 often almost sessile ; the berries small and tasteless. 



In rocky, hiUy districts, in central and southern Europe and Eussian 

 Asia ; not an alpine plant, notwithstanding its name, but said to extend to 

 rather high northern latitudes ; it may not, however, always have been 

 properly distinguished from the Currant R. Eather scarce in Britain, and 

 cliiefly in central and northern England and southern Scotland ; it does not 

 extend into the Highlands, nor is it recorded from Ireland. Fl. spring. 



4. Black Ribes. Ribes ni^um, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1291. Black Currant.) 



Easily known by the peculiar smell of the leaves when rubbed, arising 

 from the small, glandular dots copiously sprinkled on the under side. 

 Stem unarmed. Leaves rather larger than in the Currant R., more cor- 

 date, and usually with only three broad, crenate lobes, coarse and rough, 

 but scarcely hairy. Eacemes pendulous, looser than in the Currant R.; the 

 flowers larger, campanulate, on longer pedicels, of which the lowest, arising 

 from the very base of the raceme, are much longer than the others. Calyx 

 rather hoary outside. Berries black. 



In woods, in northern, central, and eastern Europe, and Eussian and 

 central Asia, but less common in western Europe than the two last 

 species. In Britain, although found in cool, shady places, and boggy 

 thickets, in various parts of England, yet it is very doubtful whether it be 

 truly indigenous, as, hke the Gooseherry and the Currant, its cultivation 

 dates from a very early period. FI. spring. 



