Ribes montigenum

Mountain gooseberry
R. montigenum, growing in an avalanche-disturbed area, in the Spring Mountains, southern Nevada
Conservation status
Apparently Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Saxifragales
Family:	Grossulariaceae
Genus:	Ribes
Species:	R. montigenum
Binomial name
Ribes montigenum McClatchie
Synonyms [2]
List Limnobotrya montigena Rydb. (1917) Ribes lacustre var. molle A.Gray (1876) Ribes lentum Coville & Rose (1902) Ribes molle Howell (1898) Ribes nubigenum McClatchie (1894)

Ribes montigenum is a North American species of currant known by the common names mountain gooseberry, alpine prickly currant, western prickly gooseberry, and gooseberry currant.

Description

It is a spreading shrub growing to 0.3–1.5 meters (1–5 ft) tall, ^[3] the branching stems covered in prickles and hairs, and bearing 1 to 5 sharp spines at intervals. ^[4]

Borne on a petiole several centimetres in length, the lightly hairy, glandular leaves are up to 4 cm (1+1⁄2 in) long and are divided into about five deeply cut, bluntly toothed lobes. ^[3] The inflorescence is a raceme of several flowers. Each flower has five sepals in shades of yellow-green or pale pink, orange, or yellow which spread into a corolla-like star. At the center are five smaller club-shaped red petals and purple-red stamens tipped with yellowish or cream anthers. The fruit is an acidic but palatable red to orange-red edible berry up to 1 cm long; it is usually covered in soft bristles. The dried flower remnant at the end is small compared to that of wax currant. ^{[4] [5]}

Distribution and habitat

It is native to western North America from Washington south to California and east as far as the Rocky Mountains, ^[6] where it grows in high mountain habitat types in subalpine and alpine climates, such as forests and talus. ^[3]

• 
  Foliage
• 
  Berries

References

1. NatureServe (2024). "Ribes montigenum". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
2. "Ribes montigenum McClatchie". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 2 October 2024.
3. Turner, Mark; Kuhlmann, Ellen (2014). Trees & Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest (1st ed.). Portland, OR: Timber Press. p. 208. ISBN   978-1-60469-263-1.
4. "Ribes montigenum in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org.
5. Elias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982]. Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods. New York: Sterling. p. 170. ISBN   978-1-4027-6715-9. OCLC   244766414.
6. "Profile for Ribes montigenum (gooseberry currant)". PLANTS Database. USDA, NRCS . Retrieved July 26, 2010.

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment
• Calphotos Photo gallery, University of California