| Ribes triste | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Saxifragales |
| Family: | Grossulariaceae |
| Genus: | Ribes |
| Species: | R. triste |
| Binomial name | |
| Ribes triste | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
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Ribes triste, known as the northern redcurrant, [2] swamp redcurrant, or wild redcurrant, [3] is an Asian and North American shrub in the gooseberry family.
It grows to 50 centimetres (20 in) tall, with a lax, often creeping branches. The leaves are alternate, 6–10 cm (2+1⁄4–4 in) across, hairy below, and palmate with 3–5 lobes. [4]
From June to July, 6–13 small, purplish flowers are displayed in pendulous racemes, 4–7 cm (1+1⁄2–2+3⁄4 in) long. The axis of the raceme is glandular. The fruit is a bright red berry, without the hairs that some currants have; it is rather sour. [5]
Ribes triste is widespread across Canada and the northern United States, as well as in eastern Asia (Russia, China, Korea, Japan). [6] [7] It grows in wet rocky woods, swamps, and cliffs. [4]
Ribes is listed a plant pest in Michigan and the planting of it in certain parts of the state is prohibited. [8]
It is listed as endangered in Connecticut [9] and Ohio, and as threatened in Pennsylvania. [8]
The berries are edible. [4] Alaska Natives eat them raw and make them into jam and jellies. [10] Eskimos eat the berries [11] and the Inupiat eat them raw or cooked, mix them with other berries which are used to make a traditional dessert. They also mix the berries with rosehips and highbush cranberries and boil them into a syrup. [12] The Iroquois mash the fruit, make them into small cakes, and store them for future use. They later soak the fruit cakes in warm water and cooked them a sauce or mixed them with corn bread. They also sun dry or fire dry the raw or cooked fruit for future use and take the dried fruit with them as a hunting food. [13] The Ojibwe eat the berries raw, and also preserve them by cooking them, spreading them on birch bark into little cakes, which are dried and stored for winter use. [14] In the winter, they often eat the berries with cooked sweet corn. They also use the berries to make jams and preserves. [15] The Upper Tanana eat the berries as food. [16]
The Ojibwe take a decoction of the root and stalk for kidney stones ('gravel') [17] and a compound decoction of the stalk to curtail menstruation; [18] the leaves are used as a 'female remedy'. [19] The Upper Tanana use a decoction of the stems without the bark as a wash for sore eyes. [16]
