CUEEAXT FA:MILY. 



137 



length, and as wide as lonr. incisely lobed and dcntrde : jvfinj,:.^ grcnc-rally much shorter 

 than the ieavts, often mari:-ined. 'I'olv.ndfi solitary or lu pairs, ui'ten hracteaie near the 

 middle. Pefn.h pale greonish-yelloNV. BerritS solitary, pendulous, large, oval, of a 

 greenish amber colnr ^Yhen mature. 

 Gardens : cultivated. Xative of Europe. Fl. April. Fr. July, 



Ohs. This species is mucli cultivated for its fine fiuit : but (in Peun- 

 sylvania, at least) it often fails to perfect the fruit, from some cause not 

 well unclers'tood. Judo'ing' from specimens ^Yhich I have seen, it ap- 

 pears to succeed much better in England, and the fruit attains to a 

 much larger size in that country. 



Stems not pncJdy. 



2. R. ru'Drum, L. Leaves obtusely 3-5-1 obed, .smooth above, pubes- 

 cent beneath : racemes pendulous, nearly smooth ; calyx rotate, the seg- 

 ments rounded. 



Eed Eibes. Eed Currant. 



Fr. Groseillier rouge. Germ. Gemeine Johannisbeere. Sjmn. Eibes 

 roja. 



stems numerous, slender, sparingly branch-d. '2-4 h-<-t hiirh. Leaves 1-2 or 3 inches 

 lung, and rather wider than long, un'-nnally inci.?c->l-<l<.rjtat..' : ]'di' h;-< ab.-nit as long as the 

 leaves. Reievmes produe>/d frum Literal buds disiiiu.d from lli'' f'aves ; leiirU o\-ate. I'e- 

 tali greenish yellow, minute. Berriiz.^ glofiose, rcl (rarely \vhiti.~h or i)earl-color) whi'U 

 mature. 



Gardens : cultivate' 1. Native of Europe and the northr/rn rcgiems of America. Fl. 

 April. Fr. June -July. 



Ohs. This is so easily cultivated, and is so constantly productive, 

 that it is to be found in almost every garden. The fine acid fruit yields 

 a favorite jelly for the table ; and even the green berries are much u.sed 

 by the pastry cook. 



3. E. xi'grem, L. Leaves 3 - 5-lobed, sprinkled with yellow resinous 

 dots beneath ; racemes loose, pilose ; calyx tul)ular-campanulato. 

 Black Eibes. Black Currant. 



Fr. Cassis. Germ. Schwarze Johanni.sbeere. Span. Eibes negra. 



.?^em.s numerous, slruider, 3 -.5 f'ot high. Lenrrx^.-^ inchr'S long, and nearly as wide 

 as Ion sr. dentate-serrate, pub-scent bc'Uoath : j)di"l:S shorter than the leaves. Bacemes 

 somewhat pe-ndulous., g'm-rally with a distim/t single-flciweri'd in-duncle at base ; IrracU 

 subulate. l'e'."h pal-.- vvUowish arccn ('sometimes ehangL'd into stamens or stamviodia) 

 Berriei neun'iish-ovoid , iir,i-pi;;b Ida'^k wbr^n mature. 



Gardens : cultivated. Native of NcA-theru Europe. FJ. April. Fr. June- July. 



Ohs. This is sometimes found in gardens ; but the fruit being of a 

 rather insipid or flat sweetish taste, it is not much esteemed. It how- 

 ever affords a jelly which is a popular and useful remedy for sore throat, 

 colds, &c. There are numerous other species of this genus ; l)ut, so far 

 as I know, the foregoing are all that are cultivated' (and perhaps all 

 that are worth cultivating) for the sake of the fruit. 



There are two species cultivated as flowering shrubs, one indigenous 

 along the great rivers of the West, and the other a native of California 



