()« PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Ribes. 



Stem erect. Berry with four seeds. E. B. 1629. R. 

 solutivus. G. E. 1337. f. 1. 2. 



Hedges, groves, thickets. Lane leading from the Botley road to 



Binsey. Sb. Magd. Coll. Walks, Oxford. R. W. 

 Shrub. May. Fruit in September. 



Shrub stiff, spreading, branches alternate, or nearly opposite, each 

 tipped with a strong thorn. Ls. earlier ones in clusters from the 

 flowering buds, the rest opposite. Fl. stalks short, simple, clus- 

 tered, yellowish-green. Cal. lobes, pet. and stam. four. Berry 

 globular, bluish-black, nauseous, purgative. Stig. four-cleft. 

 Berry unripe dyes yellow. A syrup from the ripe berr., a griping 

 purgative. Flesh of the birds feeding on the berr. said to be purga- 

 tive. Juice of the ripe berr. mixed with alum, is sap-green of 

 painters. From the bark a fine yellow dye. This plant known 

 to attain the height of nearly twenty feet. 



(R. Frangida. Alder B. Without thorns. Flowers 

 perfect. Style simple. Leaves entire, smooth. Berry 

 two seeded. 



Hedges. Grafton, &c. Pn. 

 Shrub. May. Berries, July. 

 Ls. roundish. Fl. wlntish. Berries dark-purple, purgative.) 



EUO'NYMUS.' Spindle-tree. 



E. europceus. Common Spindle-tree^ or Prickwood. 

 Flowers mostly four-cleft and tetrandrous. Petals 

 acute. Branches smooth and even. E. B. SQ^,. E. 

 Theophrasti. G. E. 1468. 



Hedges, thickets. 



Shrub, or small Tree. May. 



Plant bruised fetid. Ls. nearly opposite, on short stalks, spear- 

 shaped, pointed, saw-toothed, the first pair entire. Fl. small, 

 axillary, white, fetid, panicle straddling ; the first flower that 

 opens has five sta-jn. as manyjt;e^, cal.-teeth, and caps, all the 

 rest, with those parts in fours. Caps, pink, when ripe, or white, 

 seed-coat, orange, pulpy. 

 The tough wood cut when the plant in fl. for spindles, skewers, 



organ keys, &c. and for excellent crayon charcoal. Three or four 



berr. emetic, and purgative. Powdered and sprinkled in the hair 



they destroy lice. 



RI'BES. Currant, and Gooseberry. 



* R. riibrum. Common Currant, No prickles. Clusters 

 smooth, hanging down. Flowers but slightly concave. 



' Gr. " of good repute," meaning the direct contrary by antiphrasis ; the 

 plant having been considered poisonous. 



