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.