RI'BES FRA'GRANS. 
FRAGRANT CURRANT. 
Class. Order. 
PENTANDRIA. MONOOYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
C ROSS U LACE AC* 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Habit 
Cultivated 
N. America 
4 feet. 
May. 
Shrub. 
in 1826. 
No. 797. 
Ribes, an Arabian name, was originally used for 
an acid plant, which it is now supposed was the 
Rheum ribes. It should not be forgotten that bot- 
anists have always considered it better to employ 
established terms, if unobjectionable in form, than 
invent new ones; but as the imperfect descriptions 
of the ancients render it impossible, at the present 
day, to discover which of their plants were intend- 
ed by their names, it will excite no surprise if, as 
in the present instance, they are given to subjects 
very different from those for which they were origi- 
nally designed. 
The Ribes fragrans was obtained from the rich 
collection of the Messrs. Loddiges, and is published 
in their Botanical Cabinet, under this name; it is 
not, however, the fragrans of Don, and we question 
its being more than a variety of Aureum, although 
its berry may be somewhat different in shape. It 
is a very showy flowerer, and fragrant ; and its fruit, 
which it bears rather freely, is larger than the 
black currant, but not very agreeable in flavour. 
Quite hardy, and may be increased by layers or 
cuttings. 
200 
Loddiges’ Bot. Cab. 1153. 
