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canyon gooseberry, coast prickly gooseberry, gooseberry

chaparral 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 1–2 m. Stems erect, tomentose with gland-tipped, bristly hairs; 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 1–5 cm, pubescent and stipitate-glandular;

blade roundish, 3–5-lobed, cleft nearly 1/4 to midrib, 2–6 cm, base deeply cordate, surfaces stipitate-glandular, glands colorless, and tomentose abaxially, rough-hairy adaxially, (dark green and rugose), lobes deltate, margins biserrate, apex obtuse.

Inflorescences

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

pendent, 10–25-flowered racemes, 3–5 cm, axis stipitate-glandular, 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 oblanceolate or wider, 6–9 mm, pubescent, 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 pink, narrowly tubular-urceolate, 5–8 mm, stipitate-glandular abaxially, villous-pubescent adaxially;

sepals nearly overlapping at base, spreading, pink to purple, obovate, (1.5–)4–6 mm;

petals nearly connivent, erect, pink to white, oblong-elliptic, not conspicuously revolute or inrolled, 2–3 mm;

nectary disc not prominent;

stamens nearly as long as petals;

filaments broader toward base, 0.6 mm, glabrous;

anthers white, ovate, 1.2–1.3 mm, apex minutely apiculate;

ovary densely stipitate-glandular;

styles connate nearly to stigmas, 6–7 mm, sparsely hairy.

Berries

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

palatable, purple, globose, 6–7 mm, hairs glandular.

Ribes menziesii

Ribes malvaceum

Phenology Flowering Feb–May. Flowering Oct–Apr.
Habitat Ravines, wooded canyon slopes Chaparral, oak woodlands
Elevation 0-1800 m (0-5900 ft) 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[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 malvaceum occurs in the southern North Coast, South Coast, Transverse, and Peninsular ranges, and the Channel Islands. It has also been reported from the Sierra Nevada in Tuolumne County. Its thick, rugose leaves, which are white-tomentose abaxially and dark green adaxially, and glaucous, white-haired berries are striking. Plants with dark green leaves occurring below 800 meters have been recognized as var. malvaceum, those with bright green leaves occurring up to 1500 meters as var. viridifolium.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 32. FNA vol. 8, p. 19.
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. indecorum, R. inerme, R. lacustre, R. lasianthum, R. laxiflorum, R. leptanthum, R. lobbii, 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 R. malvaceum var. clementinum, R. malvaceum var. viridifolium
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 732. 1813 , Smith: in A. Rees, Cycl. 30: Ribes no. 13. 1815 ,
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