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canyon gooseberry, coast prickly gooseberry, gooseberry

white-flower currant, white-flowering currant

Habit Plants 1–2 m. Stems erect, pubescent, glandular-bristly; spines at nodes mostly 3, 10–15(–20) mm; prickles on internodes dense. Plants usually deciduous, 1.5–3 m. Stems erect, densely pubescent and glandular; spines at nodes absent; prickles on internodes absent.
Leaves

petiole 1–2.5 cm, pubescent, stipitate-glandular;

blade broadly ovate, 3–5-lobed, cleft less than 1/2 to midrib, 1.5–2.5 cm, base semitruncate or slightly cordate, surfaces abaxially pubescent and sessile- or stipitate-glandular, adaxially glabrous or sparsely pubescent, lobes cuneate-rounded, margins crenate-dentate, apex rounded.

petiole 0.5–2.5 cm, with long, glandular hairs at base;

blade roundish to pentangular, 3–5-lobed, cleft less than 1/4 to midrib, 1–4 cm, base cordate, surfaces white-tomentose abaxially, hairy and stipitate-glandular adaxially, lobes deltate, margins crenate, apex obtuse.

Inflorescences

pendent, solitary flowers or 2-flowered racemes, 2–4 cm, axis short-pubescent, glandular.

spreading, 10–25-flowered racemes, 2–5 cm, axis glandular-pubescent, flowers evenly spaced.

Pedicels

not jointed, 3–6 mm, pubescent, stipitate-glandular;

bracts broadly ovate, 3–5 mm, pubescent, stipitate-glandular.

jointed, 1–2 mm, pubescent, stipitate-glandular;

bracts narrowly lanceolate, 2–4 mm, crisped-puberulent, stipitate-glandular.

Flowers

hypanthium crimson, conic, 2.5–3.5 mm (1/4–1/3 as long as sepals), white-pilose, with red, stalked glands and red bristles;

sepals not overlapping, reflexed, reddish purple or greenish purple, oblong-lanceolate, 7–11 mm;

petals connivent, erect, white or pinkish to yellow, broadly flabellate-cuneate, often with inrolled margins, 3–4 mm;

nectary disc not prominent;

stamens 1.5–1.8 times as long as petals;

filaments linear, 3–5 mm, glabrous;

anthers white or tan, lanceolate-sagittate, 2.5 mm, apex acute, mucronate;

ovary somewhat pubescent and strongly purplish glandular-bristly with longer glandless bristles among gland-tipped hairs;

styles connate to middle, 6–8 mm, glabrous.

hypanthium greenish white, narrowly tubular-urceolate, 2.5–5 mm, pubescent, stipitate-glandular;

sepals not overlapping, recurved, white, oblong to ovate, 1–2 mm;

petals nearly connivent, erect, white, flabellate to spatulate-obovate, not conspicuously revolute or inrolled, 0.5–1 mm;

nectary disc not prominent;

stamens nearly as long as petals;

filaments broadened at base, ca. 0.2 mm, pubescent;

anthers white, ovate, 0.5–0.8 mm, apex minutely apiculate;

ovary tomentose, stipitate-glandular;

styles connate nearly to stigmas, 3–4 mm, tomentose entire length.

Berries

not palatable, reddish purple, ellipsoid-globose, 10–13 mm, pubescent, glandular-bristly.

palatability not known, purple, globose, 6–7 mm, hairy, stipitate-glandular.

Ribes menziesii

Ribes indecorum

Phenology Flowering Feb–May. Flowering Nov–Apr.
Habitat Ravines, wooded canyon slopes Chaparral, coastal sage scrub
Elevation 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft) 0-2000 m (0-6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties of Ribes menziesii that have been recognized in the past include: var. hystrix, which occurs in the inner South Coast Ranges, is not particularly aromatic, has leaves glandular abaxially, filament lengths equal to the petals, and berries with glandular and nonglandular hairs; var. ixoderme, which occurs in the Sierra Nevada foothills, is aromatic, has leaves glandular abaxially, filament lengths longer than petals, and berries with glandular and nonglandular hairs; var. leptosmum, which occurs in the outer North Coast Ranges and San Francisco Bay area, is not particularly fragrant, has filament lengths longer than petals, and berries densely covered with gland-tipped bristles and without nonglandular hairs; var. senile, which occurs in the southwestern part of the San Francisco Bay area, is not particularly fragrant, has leaves with relatively few glands abaxially, filament lengths 1.5 times the petals, and berries with dense, soft, white hairs and gland-tipped bristles. M. R. Mesler and J. O. Sawyer Jr. (1993) concluded that the differences are not sufficient for recognizing these taxa.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Ribes indecorum occurs from Santa Barbara County south into Baja California. Its leaves are very rough to the touch and fragrant.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 32. FNA vol. 8, p. 20.
Parent taxa Grossulariaceae > Ribes Grossulariaceae > Ribes
Sibling taxa
R. acerifolium, R. amarum, R. americanum, R. aureum, R. binominatum, R. bracteosum, R. californicum, R. canthariforme, R. cereum, R. curvatum, R. cynosbati, R. diacanthum, R. divaricatum, R. echinellum, R. erythrocarpum, R. glandulosum, R. hirtellum, R. hudsonianum, R. indecorum, R. inerme, R. lacustre, R. lasianthum, R. laxiflorum, R. leptanthum, R. lobbii, R. malvaceum, R. marshallii, R. mescalerium, R. missouriense, R. montigenum, R. nevadaense, R. nigrum, R. niveum, R. oxyacanthoides, R. pinetorum, R. quercetorum, R. roezlii, R. rotundifolium, R. rubrum, R. sanguineum, R. sericeum, R. speciosum, R. thacherianum, R. triste, R. tularense, R. uva-crispa, R. velutinum, R. viburnifolium, R. victoris, R. viscosissimum, R. watsonianum, R. wolfii
R. acerifolium, R. amarum, R. americanum, R. aureum, R. binominatum, R. bracteosum, R. californicum, R. canthariforme, R. cereum, R. curvatum, R. cynosbati, R. diacanthum, R. divaricatum, R. echinellum, R. erythrocarpum, R. glandulosum, R. hirtellum, R. hudsonianum, R. inerme, R. lacustre, R. lasianthum, R. laxiflorum, R. leptanthum, R. lobbii, R. malvaceum, R. marshallii, R. menziesii, R. mescalerium, R. missouriense, R. montigenum, R. nevadaense, R. nigrum, R. niveum, R. oxyacanthoides, R. pinetorum, R. quercetorum, R. roezlii, R. rotundifolium, R. rubrum, R. sanguineum, R. sericeum, R. speciosum, R. thacherianum, R. triste, R. tularense, R. uva-crispa, R. velutinum, R. viburnifolium, R. victoris, R. viscosissimum, R. watsonianum, R. wolfii
Synonyms Grossularia hystrix, Grossularia leptosma, Grossularia menziesii, Grossularia senilis, R. menziesii var. hystrix, R. menziesii var. ixoderme, R. menziesii var. leptosmum, R. menziesii var. senile
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 732. 1813 , Eastwood: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 3, 2: 243, plate 23, fig. 3a, b. 1902 ,
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