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Hall's sticky currant, mountain currant, sticky currant

cultivated currant, European red currant, garden red currant, groseillier rouge, northern red currant, red currant, red garden currant

Habit Plants 1–2 m. Stems erect to spreading, soft-pubescent, ± thickly stipitate-glandular, becoming glabrate; spines at nodes absent; prickles on internodes absent. Plants (not strong-smelling), 0.5–1.5 m. Stems erect, nearly glabrous, crisped-puberulent (somewhat stipitate-glandular on young growth); spines at nodes absent; prickles on internodes absent.
Leaves

petiole (0.8–)1–5(–10) cm, pubescent, sparsely to densely stipitate-glandular;

blade suborbiculate to reniform, 3- or 5-lobed, cleft 1/4–1/3 to midrib, (1–)2.6–6.5(–8.5) cm, base deeply cordate, surfaces sparsely stipitate-glandular (otherwise nearly glabrous) to downy along veins, copiously soft-pubescent and glandular, lobes rounded, margins irregularly 1 or 2 times coarsely crenate-dentate, apex rounded to broadly acute.

petiole 3–6 cm, glabrous;

blade suborbiculate, 5-lobed, cleft 1/3–1/2 to midrib, 2.5–4.5 cm, base truncate to cordate, surfaces not glandular, sparsely hairy on veins abaxially, glabrous adaxially, lobes broadly ovate-triangular, margins bicrenate-serrate, apex acute.

Inflorescences

erect to somewhat pendent, (3–)6–17-flowered racemes, 3–10 cm (shorter than leaves), axis copiously pubescent and stipitate-glandular, flowers clustered at end of peduncle.

ascending to pendent, 8–20-flowered racemes, 2–6 cm, axis glabrous, not glandular, flowers evenly spaced.

Pedicels

jointed, (2.7–)3.5–10(–12) mm, pubescent, stipitate-glandular;

bracts lanceolate to oblanceolate, (5–)6–8.5(–12) mm, stipitate-glandular.

jointed, to 6 mm, glabrous, not glandular;

bracts broadly ovate, 0.5–1 mm, glabrous.

Flowers

hypanthium greenish, greenish yellow, or yellowish white, sometimes strongly pinkish or purplish tinged, campanulate to tubular-campanulate, (4.5–)7–8 mm, sparsely to densely hairy and stipitate-glandular abaxially, glabrous adaxially;

sepals not overlapping, spreading at anthesis, becoming erect, whitish green, sometimes tinged with pink or purple, lanceolate-elliptic, (3.5–)4–7 mm;

petals connivent, erect, white or cream, obovate-spatulate, not conspicuously revolute or inrolled, 2.5–4 mm;

nectary disc not prominent;

stamens nearly as long as petals;

filaments broadened at base, 1.2–3 mm, glabrous;

anthers cream, oblong-oval, 1–1.8 mm, apex with cup-shaped gland;

ovary glabrous or minutely hairy and strongly stipitate-glandular;

styles connate nearly to stigmas, 6–9.5 mm, glabrous.

hypanthium ochroleucous or greenish, saucer-shaped, 1 mm, glabrous;

sepals nearly overlapping, spreading (revolute at tips), green or greenish brown, broadly deltate-ovate (abruptly narrowed to slender base), 2–2.5 mm;

petals widely separated, erect, cream to pinkish, cuneate-flabellate, not conspicuously revolute or inrolled, 0.3–1 mm;

nectary disc prominent, green, raised, 5-angled, covering top of ovary;

stamens nearly as long as petals;

filaments linear, 0.2–0.3 mm, glabrous;

anthers white, dumbbell-shaped, 0.2–0.3 mm (broader than long), apex with U-shaped depression, (anther sacs distinctly separated by connective as broad as sac);

ovary glabrous;

styles connate 1/2 their lengths, 1+ mm, glabrous.

Berries

palatable, dark bluish black, ovoid, (8–)10–15 mm, glabrous or ± hairy and stipitate-glandular.

sour, bright red, globose, 6–10 mm, glabrous.

Ribes viscosissimum

Ribes rubrum

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat Along creeks, open to heavily timbered slopes, sagebrush Mesic habitats in disturbed woods, thickets, roadsides, old homesteads, garden neighborhoods, tamarack swamps
Elevation 900-3100 m (3000-10200 ft) 0-2200 m (0-7200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; IA; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MT; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; BC; LB; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; w Europe; cultivated and naturalized throughout Europe [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

All parts of Ribes viscosissimum are very fragrant. Its leaves are thick and rough. Plants with glabrous or sparsely stipitate-glandular ovaries have been recognized as var. hallii and are found only in California and Oregon. Plants with strongly stipitate-glandular and softly pubescent ovaries are var. viscosissimum and are more widespread. W. C. Martin and C. R. Hutchins (1980) indicated that R. viscosissimum is to be expected in New Mexico; no occurrence there has been confirmed.

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

The leaves of Ribes rubrum are rather thick. Cultivated red currants may have originated from a cross between R. rubrum and R. spicatum E. Robson, a rare species native in northern Britain (R. Mabey 1996). Many of the state and province records of occurrence may be the result of repeated escape from cultivation rather than true naturalization.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 22. FNA vol. 8, p. 14.
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. sanguineum, R. sericeum, R. speciosum, R. thacherianum, R. triste, R. tularense, R. uva-crispa, R. velutinum, R. viburnifolium, R. victoris, 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. 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. 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 R. viscosissimum var. hallii R. rubrum var. sativum, R. sativum, R. sylvestre
Name authority Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 163. 1813 , Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 200. 1753 ,
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