160 PENTANDR1A MONOGYNIA 



Root perennial, laige. Stem 2 to 3 or 4 feet high, pubescent, often hirsute, some- 

 what viscid when young. Leaves 4 to 6 or 7 inches long, and 2 to 4 inches wide, 

 often narrowed almost to a petiole at base, but always more or less connate, softly 

 pubescent beneath, the upper surface sprinkled with hairs, and roughish-pubes- 

 cont on the midrib and nerves, margin ciliate-pubescent. Flowers subvert icillate. 

 1, 2, or 3 in the opposite axils, each with I or 2 linear bracts at base. Corolla dark 

 brownish purple, about half an inch long, viscid-pubescent; lobes rounded; ih» 

 gibbous portion of the tube glandular-pulverulent within. Filaments bearded. 

 Style as long as the corolla, hairy below ; stigma thick, somewhat lobed. Berry 

 oval, pubescent, rather dry, orange color when mature (dark purple, Pureh, EU.), 

 Hab Rich, rocky wooodlands: fence-row 8, &c- frequent. 2-7. jUay-June. FY. Sept. 



Obs. The root of this plant is reputed to be medicinal, as an emetic and cathar- 

 tic. It was formerly a favorite medicine— almost a Panacea -with the aboriginal 

 Doctors of this County. There is one ollu-r species in the l'. Stales,— viz, T. an* 

 gusti/olium ; which, although it has not yet been detected in Chester County, moaj 

 probably will be. I have received a specimen of it, collected near the Brick Meet- 

 ing House, just within the Maryland line, by my friend Mr. Jambs Trimdlk. 



|>. Corolla pentapetalous ; Fruit a Berry. 



122. RIBES, X. .Vutt. Gen. 217. 

 [An ancient Arabic name; of uncertain meaning.] 



Calyx campanulate, or tubular, 6-cleft ; segments more or less colored. 

 Petals small, inserted alternately with the stamens in the throat of tht 

 calyx. Style 2 to 4-cleft. Berry crowned with the shrivelled remains 

 of the flower, 1-celled, pulpy, many-seeded. 



Shrubby: unarmed, or aculeate ; leaves alternate, lobed ; flowers mostly in ax- 

 illary racemes, bracteate. Nat. Ord. 45. Lindl. Grossulacbj*. 



* Unarmed. 



1. R. floridum, VHerit. Leaves acutely 3-lobed, glandular-punc- 

 tate on both sides; petioles longer than the leaves ; racemes pendulous, 

 retrorsely villose ; calyx tubular ; bracts longer than the pedicels. Beck, 

 BoU p." 136. 



R. nigrum pennsylvanicum. Marsh, Arbust. p. 132. 

 R. recurvatum. JMx. Jim. I. p. 109. Per*. Syn. I. p. 251. J\*utt. Gen. 

 I. p. 140. Also, Pursh, Am. 1. p. 164. DC. Prodr.3. p.482. 

 Also, R. pennsylvanicum. Nutt. I. c. Per 8. /. c. 

 Flowery Ribks. Vulgo— Wild Currant. Pcnnsylva. Black Currant. 

 Stems several, 3 to 4 feet high, slender, hark ash colored with a dark ground, 

 branches often recurved. Leaves 1 to 2 inches in length, and as wide as long, with 

 3 spreading acute lobes, sometimes with 2 indistinct additional lobes near the base, 

 dentate-serrate, often somewhat cordate, pubescent beneath, both surfaces sprink- 

 led with yellow resinous Hots; petioles often membranaceously margined towards 

 the base, and fringed with pubescent ciliae. Racemes about 3 inches long, clothed 

 with a soft relrorse pubescence; Jiotcers numerous, rather large, many of them 

 abortive ; bracts lance-linear, pubescent. Oalyx tubular campanulate, about one- 

 third of an inch long, half 5-cleft; segments obovate-oblong. Petals pale greenish 

 yellow, oblong, shorter than the calyx-segments. Style the length of the calyx. 

 Berries oblong, or roundish-ovoid, nearly black when mature. 



Hab. Sandy banks ; roadsides ; borders of woods: frequent. Fl. May. Fr. July. 

 Obs. This has much resemblance to the common Black Currant of the gardens • 

 the fruit, however, is inferior in size and quality, and usually but few berriei en a 

 raceme come to perfection. 



