Sempervivum.] XXX. CRASSULACE^. 163 



In rocky situations, in the great mountain-ranges of central and 

 southern Europe to the Caucasus, and having been very long cultivated 

 as a curiosity, it is widely spread over northern Europe, as an introduced 

 plant, on cottage-roofs and old walls. It is only under such circum- 

 stances that it is to be met with in Britain. Ft. summer. 



XXXI. RIBESIACEiE. THE EIBES FAMILY. 

 This family is identical with the Linnean genus Ribes, and 

 nearly allied to the exotic shrubby genera of Saxifragacece, 

 but maintained as distinct on account of the succulent fruit 

 with parietal placentas, and the union of the styles at the base, 

 indicating some approach to the Cadacece. [The genus Ribes 

 is included under Saxifragacece by many authors.] 



I. RIBES. EIBES. 



Shrubs, with alternate, palmately veined or lobed leaves, no stipules, 

 and axillary flowers in racemes, or rarely solitary. Calyx adnate to the 

 ovary at the base, the limb divided into 4 or 5 segments. Petals as many, 

 very small and scale-like, inserted at the base of the segments of the calyx. 

 Stamens as many. Ovary inferior, 1-celled, with many ovules inserted on 

 2 parietal placentas. Style deeply divided into 2 or 4 lobes. Fruit a 

 berry, filled with juicy pulp, in which the seeds are suspended by long 

 stalks. Albumen horny, with a small, straight embryo. 



A genus spread over the whole of the temperate regions of the northern 

 hemisphere. The species are most numerous in north-western America, 

 and a small number extend along the Andes towards the southern ex- 

 tremity of that continent. 



Stems prickly. Peduncles 1- or 2-flowered 1. R. Grossularia. 



Stems unarmed. Flowers in racemes. 

 Flowers all complete. 

 Leaves inodorous. Pedicels all short. Fruit red or white . 2. R. rubrum. 

 Leaves strongly scented. Lowest pedicels of each raceme 



longer than the upper ones. Fruit black . . . . 4. R. nigrum. 

 Flowers dioecious. Fruit red 3. R. alpinum. 



The Scarlet Ribes and several others, now frequent in our shrubberies, 

 are natives of north-western America. 



1. R. Grossularia, Linn. (fig. 372). Gooseberry.— A much branched 

 shrub, 3 or 4 feet high, with numerous palmately spreading prickles, 

 either single or 2 or 3 together. Leaves small, orbicular, palmately 

 divided into 3 or 5 crenated lobes, more or less hairy on both sides. 

 Flowers green, hanging singly or in pairs on short pedicels from little 

 tufts of young leaves. Calyx-tube shortly campanulate, the segments 

 oblong, about twice the length of the petals. Berry of the wild plant 

 rather small and yellowish, sprinkled with stiff hairs, but in cultivation 

 varying much in size and colour, and often quite glabrous. 



In thickets, open woods, and hedges, in the rocky parts of central and 

 southern Europe, and western Asia. In Britain, well established in many 

 places, in hedges, and even wilder places, but, except in the north of 

 England, scarcely indigenous, having been abundantly cultivated in 

 cottage gardens for several centuries. Fl. early spring. [The truly wild 



