March. 5, 1904. 
THE Q ARDEN ING WORLD. 
19 5 
Notes on the Illustrations in this Issue. 
Ribes speciosum. 
The o’enusi Kibe® Includes Gooseberries and Currant®, and as 
the above specie® liasi spiny stems, it is'uually regarded a® a, 
Gooseberry, although only an ornamental one. It is, ini fact, 
termed the Fuchsia-flowered Gooseberry, and casual observers 
would be more likely to regard it as a. Fuchsia than, either a 
Goosebeny or a. Currant. The small wedge-shaped and three- 
lobed leaves resemble those of a small Gooseberry, while the 
flowers are produced in clusters of one to three in the axils 
of the leaves. The calyx is cylindrical, with a four-lobed 
limb, and the stamens are twice a,s long a® the calyx, project¬ 
ing beyond the flower to sortie considerable 
length. As the flowers arei abundant, thisl, 
together with the shape of the flowers, the 
length of the stamens, and the deep red colour 
of the whole, gives the flower very decidedly 
the appearance of a Fuchsia.. 
The plant is a native of California., from 
whence it was introduced in 1829, and in its 
native home makes a bush about 3 ft. or 4 ft. 
in height. As it is liable to commence growth 
early there isi some danger that lb might be 
caught with late frosts in this country, and for 
that reason it is best to plant it against a wall. 
Under such conditions it is perfectly hardy, 
without any other protection whatever, and! 
flowers at the end of spring or early in summer. 
Like the fruiting members of the same group, 
it is very amenable for training against a wall, 
and this enable® it to reach a, much greater 
height than it does in its native home. 
The plant shown in our illusta J atiom has been 
grown on a. west aspect wall at Kew for many 
years, and stands about 12 ft. in height. Last 
year it flowered most profusely, hut unfortu¬ 
nately the flowers do not show well against the 
foliage and the wall, owing to their dark red 
colour, which doe® not give the contrast in shade 
so much desired in a black and white picture. 
The other plants seen clinging to the wall near 
the top are sipecimenls of Linaria Cymbalaria., 
which come of their own accord and establish 
themselves wherever there is a crack between 
the bricks. 
As far as cultivation is concerned, its require¬ 
ments are few; so long as the soil is well 
drained and the aspect sheltered, it will thrive 
satisfactorily and repay the planter for the space 
given it. The stems and branches are very 
durable., so that when once they have been nailed 
to the wall it is only necessary to allow the 
branches to extend at the end® so long a,s there 
1 is space for them, both laterally and 1 at the top. 
The breast wood that project® away from the 
wall ma.y be pruned back either in .summer or 
win,ter. The branches give off numerous spur®, 
and these develop any quantity of flowers, so 
that a large, well-furnished plant, is a, veiy orna*- 
mental object. 
If the wall were of white instead of red bricks, 
the flowers would show up better at a distance 
than against red bricks. As it is', few climbers 
aie more interesting than this specie® during 
the time it is in bloom. It is rather surprising that so hand¬ 
some a plant should not be more often planted in gardens for 
covering walls than it is at present. 
Aconitmn Wilsoni. 
hl m ? D y general of plants, there are numbers, of 
Zf" S P e flittle groups, as it were, in the 
them ft mon &* the European Aconites, we have a, number of 
em that are very closely related, including A. Napellus, A. 
pamculaitum, A. variegatum, and others. In Eastern Asia we 
have likewise a. number that closely resemble one another in 
structure, but differ in height, branching, or in habit. Wo 
lefei to A. Fischeri, to which various other names have been 
given in gardens, and the subject of this notice. A® seen in 
gardens in various parts of the country, A. Fischeri forms a 
single upright raceme of flowers on the top 1 of steins varying 
from 2 ft. to 3 ft. ini height.. A. Wilsoni, on the other hand, 
develops a stem, while still quite a young plant, 5 ft, to 6 ft. 
in height, bearing a terminal panicle of flowers—that is, 
numerous side branches are given off from the base of the 
main one, and each of these branches carries a. raceme of 
flowers. 
JilBES SPECIOSUM, 01! THE FUCHSIA-ELOWEEED GOOSEBERRY. 
The accompanying illustration represents only one small 
raceme. If one of the large panicles had been shown, the 
flowers would necessarily have been greatly reduced, and their 
form would have thereby been greatly obscured. The special 
features of this species are its tall stems and branching panicles 
of light blue flowers that bloom late in the autumn when 
flowers of- tins genus, have mostly been over for some time. 
It was collected in, Central China by Mr. E. H. Wilson, after 
whom it was named. 
