| Mountain gooseberry | |
|---|---|
| |
| R. montigenum, growing in an avalanche-disturbed area, in the Spring Mountains, southern Nevada | |
| Conservation status | |
 Apparently Secure (NatureServe) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Saxifragales |
| Family: | Grossulariaceae |
| Genus: | Ribes |
| Species: | R. montigenum |
| Binomial name | |
| Ribes montigenum McClatchie | |
| Synonyms | |
| List | |
Ribes montigenum is a North American species of currant known by the common names mountain gooseberry, alpine prickly currant, western prickly gooseberry, and gooseberry currant.
Description
It is a spreading shrub growing to 0.3–1.5 meters (1–5 ft) tall, the branching stems covered in prickles and hairs, and bearing 1 to 5 sharp spines at intervals.
Borne on a petiole several centimetres in length, the lightly hairy, glandular leaves are up to 4 cm (1+1⁄2 in) long and are divided into about five deeply cut, bluntly toothed lobes. The inflorescence is a raceme of several flowers. Each flower has five sepals in shades of yellow-green or pale pink, orange, or yellow which spread into a corolla-like star. At the center are five smaller club-shaped red petals and purple-red stamens tipped with yellowish or cream anthers. The fruit is an acidic but palatable red to orange-red edible berry up to 1 cm long; it is usually covered in soft bristles. The dried flower remnant at the end is small compared to that of wax currant.
Distribution and habitat
It is native to western North America from Washington south to California and east as far as the Rocky Mountains, where it grows in high mountain habitat types in subalpine and alpine climates, such as forests and talus.
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Foliage
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Berries
References
- NatureServe (2024). "Ribes montigenum". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- "Ribes montigenum McClatchie". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ^ Turner, Mark; Kuhlmann, Ellen (2014). Trees & Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest (1st ed.). Portland, OR: Timber Press. p. 208. ISBN 978-1-60469-263-1.
- ^ "Ribes montigenum in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org.
- Elias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) . Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods. New York: Sterling. p. 170. ISBN 978-1-4027-6715-9. OCLC 244766414.
- "Profile for Ribes montigenum (gooseberry currant)". PLANTS Database. USDA, NRCS. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
External links
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Ribes montigenum |
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