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blood currant, flowering currant, red currant, red-flowering currant, redflower currant, winter currant

chaparral currant

Habit Plants 1–4 m. Plants 1–2 m.
Stems

erect, finely pubescent, stipitate-glandular;

spines at nodes absent;

prickles on internodes absent.

erect, tomentose with gland-tipped, bristly hairs;

spines at nodes absent;

prickles on internodes absent.

Leaves

petiole 2–7 cm, puberulent, short stipitate-glandular;

blade broadly reniform or cordate-orbiculate to deltate-ovate, nearly equally to irregularly 5-lobed, cleft nearly 1/4 to midrib, 2–7 cm, base subtruncate to cordate, surfaces puberulent to whitish-tomentose abaxially, puberulent adaxially or puberulent and colorless, sessile-glandular on both surfaces, lobes deltate to obtuse, margins finely 2–3 times crenate and denticulate or serrate, apex broadly acute.

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 to stiffly spreading or ascending or erect, 5–40-flowered racemes, 5–15 cm, axis crisped-pubescent and stipitate-glandular, flowers evenly spaced.

pendent, 10–25-flowered racemes, 3–5 cm, axis stipitate-glandular, flowers evenly spaced.

Pedicels

jointed, 5–10 mm, pubescent, stipitate-glandular;

bracts oblanceolate or lanceolate, 2–12 mm, with scattered, short hairs and stalked glands.

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

bracts oblanceolate or wider, 6–9 mm, pubescent, stipitate-glandular.

Flowers

hypanthium white, pink, rose, or red, tubular to campanulate, 3–7 mm, pubescent, stipitate-glandular;

sepals not overlapping, spreading or reflexed, white, pink, or red, ovate-elliptic or oblong to oblanceolate or lanceolate, 4–5 mm;

petals not or nearly connivent to connivent, erect, white or pink to red, obovate-spatulate to oblong or almost square, not conspicuously revolute or inrolled, 1–3.5 mm;

nectary disc not prominent;

stamens shorter than to as long as petals;

filaments linear or slightly expanded at base, 1.2–2 mm, glabrous;

anthers cream, oblong-oval, 0.5–0.8 mm, apex shallowly notched;

ovary stipitate-glandular to strongly stipitate-glandular and crisped-puberulent;

styles connate nearly to stigmas, 4–6 mm, glabrous or with scattered, stipitate glands at base.

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

palatable but insipid, blue-black, glaucous, ovoid or globose, 3–9(–10) mm, yellowish or greenish stipitate-glandular.

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

2n

= 16.

Ribes sanguineum

Ribes malvaceum

Phenology Flowering Oct–Apr.
Habitat Chaparral, oak woodlands
Elevation 0-1500 m [0-4900 ft]
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; OR; WA; BC [Introduced in c Europe]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Ribes sanguineum is widely cultivated. It begins to bloom very early in the season, providing a nectar source for pollinators when little else is available.

(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.)

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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
R. sanguineum var. glutinosum, R. sanguineum var. sanguineum
Key
1. Racemes 5-15(-20)-flowered, erect to stiffly spreading or ascending; sepals red.
var. sanguineum
1. Racemes 15-40-flowered, pendent; sepals pink to white.
var. glutinosum
Synonyms R. malvaceum var. clementinum, R. malvaceum var. viridifolium
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 164. 1813 , Smith: in A. Rees, Cycl. 30: Ribes no. 13. 1815 ,
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 21. Treatment author: Nancy R. Morin. FNA vol. 8, p. 19. Treatment author: Nancy R. Morin.
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