26 ELEMENTS OF BOTANY. 



SAXIFRAGACEa;, SAXIFRAGE FAMILY. 



Herbs or shrubs. Leaves alternate or opposite, generally 

 without stipules. Sepals 4 or 5, more or less coherent with 

 each other and adnate to the ovary. Petals as many as the 

 sepals and alternate with them. Stamens as many as the 

 petals and alternate with them, or 2-10 times as many. Ovary 

 usually of 2 carpels, united only at the base or more or less 

 throughout. Fruit generally a 1-2-celled capsule, sometimes 

 a berry. Seeds many, with endosperm. 



I. RIBES, CURRANT, GOOSEBERRY. 



Shrubs. Leaves palmately veined and- lobed, sometimes 

 with stipules. Calyx-tube egg-shaped, adnate to the 1-celled 

 ovary, its 5 lobes usually colored lite the petals. Petals 5, 

 small, generally inserted on the ' throat of the calyx-tube. 

 Stamens 5, inserted With the petals. Styles 2. Ovary 1- 

 celled, with 2 placentte on its walls, becoming in fruit a 

 pulpy (usually eatable) berry. 



a. (R. rotundifolium), Smooth Wild Gooseberry. Spines 

 few and short, prickles few or absefat ; leaves roundish, lobed, with 

 the lobes crenate-dentate, often doVny ; peduncles slender ; flowers 

 inconspicuous ; calyx-lobes reflexed ; styles and stamens projecting 

 decidedly from the calyx-tube ; berries smooth. 



b. (R. Cynosbati), Jrickly Wild Gooseberry. Spines in 

 pairs ; leaves long-peduiicled, do^ny, cordate, cut-dentate ; style 

 single, it and the stamens not projebting from the calyx-tube ; berries 

 generally prickly, brownish-purple, pleasant-flavored. 



c. (R. rubrum). Red Currant. Stems more or less reclining; 

 leaves somewhat heart-shdped, obtusely 3-5 lobed ; racemes drooping 

 (Fig. 105) ; limb of the calyx wheel-shaped ; berries acid, eatable, 

 red or light amber-colored Cultivated from Europe, also wild In 

 the Northern U. S. 



d. (R. aureum). Golden Currant, Flowering C, Missouri 

 C, Clove C. A much taller shrub than the common red currant ; 

 leaves 3-lobed, toothed ; racemes short and loose ; tube of the yellow 

 calyx much longer than its limb ; flowers very fragrant ; fruit 

 brownish-black, barely eatabl^ 



