KEY TO THE GOOSEBERRIES AND CURRANTS 



201 



Itea virginica. Itea. (312) or Virginian ' Willow' is a shrub (2-4 

 feet high) of upright slender growth with willow-like minutely serrate 

 alternate leaves and slender terminal clusters of small, white, fragrant 

 flowers, in June and July. The fruit is a slender two-grooved capsule, 

 with many seeds. Its flowers in summer and its brilliant red foliage in 

 autumn render this 



rather coarse wild ^^■*^£ )\ 



plant worthy of cul- 

 tivation. 



[Seeds ; twig cxit- 



tings ; divisions.] 



Ribes. TheGoosE- 

 BEKRiES and Cur- 

 rants are popular 

 shrubs generally cul- 

 tivated for their use- 

 ful small fruits, but 

 the beautiful lobed 

 leaves, bright flowers, and colored berries of some of the species render 

 them worthy of cultivation in the shrubbery. 



The alternate (often clustered) lobed simple leaves and the globular 

 (prickly, hairy, or smooth) fleshy berries tipped with the remains of the 

 calyx characterize the group. The genus is easily separated into the 

 prickly-stemmed gooseberries and the smooth-stemmed currants. 



[Twig cuttings ; layers ; seeds. ] 



Fio. 318. — Lobb's Gooseberry. 



KEY TO THE ORNAMENTAL GOOSEBERRIES AND 

 CURRANTS 



* Stems thorny or prickly, often with both thorns and prickles — 

 gooseberries. (A.) 

 A. Thorns usually in 3's. (B.) 



B. Flowers showy, drooping, with the stamens long, exserted. (C.) 



C. Mowers bright red, 4-parted ; calyx not reflexed ; berry 



small, prickly, dry, few-seeded ; leaves thick, shining, nearly 



evergreen. The most beautiful of the genus, but not hardy 



North. FcOHSiA -FLOWERED Gooseberry — Ribes specibsura. 



C. Plowers purple and white, 5-parted ; calyx reflexed ; berry 



(J inch) very glandular-hairy ; leaves small, rarely 1 inch 



wide. Lobb's Gooseberry (318) — Ribes Lobbii. 



B. Flowefs not showy, short, with calyx reflexed and sijamens but; 



