Rl'BES AU'REUM. 
GOLDEN-FLOWERED CURRANT. 
Class. Order. 
PBNTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
cacti. 
Native of 
Height 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Introduced 
N. America. 
8 feet. 
April. 
Perennial. 
in 1812. 
No. 189. 
The term Ribes was, originally, a name for a 
species of rhubarb, but has, in the necessary change 
of botanical nomenclature, been transferred to ano- 
ther family. Aureum, from the Latin aureus, gold ; 
in allusion to the beautiful colour of its flowers. 
Our English word, Currant, originated with the 
fruit of commerce, known by that name; the growth 
and preparation of which the principal part of its 
consumers are little acquainted. This well-known 
fruit of the grocer’s shop was formerly distin- 
guished by the name Uvae Corinthiacse ; and is a 
small grape, produced by a variety of the vitus 
vinifera, or common vine. The term Corinthiacap 
was applied from its having been principally raised 
about Corinth ; and the fruit was known by the 
name of Corinths; thence, by an easy change in 
usage and spelling, came our term Currants. 
The Grapes of Corinth have always been noticed 
as the smallest produced in any country. Pliny ob- 
serves this, and says, that unless the soil be very rich 
they are unprofitable for cultivation. The labour 
bestowed on these small vines is unimportant, as 
they are merely trained on the earth, and other 
48 
