302 



THE KIBES FAMILY. 



In rocky woods, in northern and central Europe and Eussian Asia, 

 extending to the Arctic Circle, but replaced in southern Europe and 

 central Asia by the It. petrceum. Frequent in Scotland, the north of 

 England, and occurs also in some parts of southern England and Ire- 

 land, but it has been so long and so generally cultivated, that it is 

 difficult to say how far it is really indigenous. Fl. spring. A variety 

 with more upright racemes has been falsely referred to the Continental 

 It. petrceum, and another with the flowers almost sessile has been dis- 

 tinguished as It. spicatum (Eng. Bot. t. 1290). 



3. Mountain Bifoes. Ribes alpinum, Linn. (Fig. 370.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 704.) 



Very near the Currant It., but the 

 leaves are smaller, more deeply divided, 

 smooth and shining, and glabrous under- 

 neath ; the flowers much smaller and 

 always dioecious; the males rather nu- 

 merous, in little, erect racemes, of 1 to 

 1\ inches ; the pedicels slender, but not 

 quite so long as the bracts ; the females, 

 on separate shrubs, much fewer together, 

 in very short racemes, and often almost 

 sessile ; the berries small and tasteless. 

 In rocky, hilly districts, in central and 

 southern Europe and Russian Asia ; not 

 an alpine plant, notwithstanding its 

 name, but said to extend to rather high 

 northern latitudes ; it may not, however, 

 always have been properly distinguished 

 from the Currant It. Rather scarce in 

 Britain, and chiefly in central and northern England and southern 

 Scotland ; it does not extend into the Highlands, nor is it recorded 

 from Ireland. Fl. spring. 



Fig. 370. 



4. Black Ribes. Ribes nigrum, Linn. (Fig. 371.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1291. Black Currant.) 



Easily known by the peculiar smell of the leaves when rubbed, 

 arising from the small, glandular dots copiously sprinkled on the under 

 side. Stem unarmed. Leaves rather larger than in the Currant R., 

 more cordate, and usually with only three broad, crenate lobes, coarse 

 and rough, but scarcely hairy. Racemes pendulous, looser than in the 



