Fig. 138.—The Black Currant.
The most ornamental kinds of Currant are R. multiflorum, with very long drooping racemes of greenish flowers; R. sanguineum, the flowers of which are crimson, and somewhat tubular; R. aureum, which has the flowers of a golden yellow, and quite tubular; and R. cereum, which has roundish leaves covered with white waxy dots on their upper surface, and racemes with few flowers, which are rather large, and of a pure white. A few species, such as R. saxatile and R. Diacantha, appear to be intermediate between the Currant and the Gooseberry, as they have the racemes of fruit common to the one, with the spines and habit of growth of the other. There is said to be another species nearly allied to R. sanguineum, with dark-purple flowers, which has not yet been introduced.
ORDER XCV.—ESCALLONIACEÆ.
Of the genera included in this order (which were formerly included in Saxifragaceæ), Escallonia is the most important, as it contains several species of ornamental South American shrubs. The flowers of the different species vary considerably: in E. rubra, they are produced singly, and the corolla, which is pink, is tubular, with a short, five-cleft limb; but in E. montevidensis the flowers, which are white, are produced in panicles, and have spread petals. The flowers of both species have five stamens, and two carpels, the styles of which are combined. The leaves are simple, alternate, and without stipules. Of the other plants contained in the order, I may mention that Itea virginica is a North American shrub, with white flowers; and Anopteris glandulosa, which is also a shrub with white flowers, is a native of Van Diemen’s Land.
ORDER XCVI.—SAXIFRAGACEÆ.
The genus Saxifraga of Linnæus has been divided so as to form several genera; but they do not appear to be generally adopted. The flowers of all the species are rather small, and they are generally racemose, or panicled; and the corolla consists of five spreading petals with short claws, and there are twice that number of stamens. Among the most common species may be mentioned London Pride (Saxifraga or Robertsonia umbrosa), and the Meadow Saxifrage (Saxifraga or Leiogyne granulata), the flowers of the latter being large, and produced singly. In the genus Hydrangea the flowers are disposed in corymbs, and they have five petals, ten stamens, and from two to five styles; but in the outer flowers of the corymb the stamens and pistil are often wanting.