Ribes


RIBES ALPINUM PUMILUM AUREUM.--Golden Mountain Currant. The ordinary

green form is a native of Britain, of which the plant named above is a

dwarf golden-leaved variety.



R. AUREUM.--Buffalo Currant. North-west America, 1812. In this species

the leaves are lobed and irregularly toothed, while the flowers are

yellow, or slightly reddish-tinted. It is of rather slender and

straggling growth. R. aureum praecox
is an early-flowering variety; and

R. aureum serotinum is valued on account of the flowers being produced

much later than are those of the parent plant.



R. CEREUM (_syn R. inebrians_).--North America, 1827. One of the

dwarfer-growing species of Flowering Currant, forming a low, dense bush

of Gooseberry-like appearance, but destitute of spines. By May it is in

full flower, and the blooms, borne in large clusters, have a pretty

pinkish tinge. The foliage is small, neat, and of a tender green that

helps to set off the pretty flowers to perfection. It is a native of

North-west America, and perfectly hardy in every part of the country.

Though not equal in point of floral beauty with our common flowering

Currant, still the miniature habit, pretty and freely-produced

pink-tinted flowers, and fresh green foliage will all help to make it an

acquisition wherever planted. Like the other species of Ribes the

present plant grows and flowers very freely in any soil, and almost

however poor.



R. FLORIDUM (_syns R. missouriense_ and _R. pennsylvanicum_).--American

Wild Black Currant. North America, 1729. This should be included in all

collections for its pretty autumnal foliage, which is of a bright

purplish bronze.



R. GORDONIANUM (_syns R. Beatonii_ and _R. Loudonii_) is a hybrid

between R. aureum and R. sanguineum, and has reddish, yellow tinged

flowers, and partakes generally of the characters of both species.



R. MULTIFLORUM, Eastern Europe (1822), is another desirable species,

with long drooping racemes of greenish-yellow flowers, and small red

berries.



R. SANGUINEUM.--Flowering Currant. North-west America, 1826. An old

inhabitant of our gardens, and well deserving of all that can be said in

its favour as a beautiful spring-flowering shrub. It is of North

American origin, with deep red and abundantly-produced flowers. There

are several distinct varieties as follows:--R. sanguineum flore-pleno

(Burning Bush), with perfectly double flowers, which are produced later

and last longer than those of the species; R. sanguineum album, with

pale pink, or almost white flowers; R. sanguineum atro-rubens, with

deeply-coloured flowers; R. sanguineum glutinosum and R. sanguineum

grandiflorum, bearing compact clusters of flowers that are rosy-flesh

coloured on the outside and white or pinky-white within.



R. SPECIOSUM.--Fuchsia-flowered Gooseberry. California, 1829. A

Californian species, remarkable for being more or less spiny, and with

flowers resembling some of the Fuchsias. They are crimson, and with

long, protruding stamens. As a wall plant, where it often rises to 6

feet in height, this pretty and taking species is most often seen.



The flowering Currants are of unusually free growth, and are not at all

particular about soil, often thriving well in that of a very poor

description. They are increased readily from cuttings and by layers.



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