Ribes montigenum

Mountain Gooseberry
R. montigenum, growing in a disturbed area where an avalanche had previously occurred, in the Spring Mountains, in southern Nevada
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Saxifragales
Family:	Grossulariaceae
Genus:	Ribes
Species:	R. montigenum
Binomial name
Ribes montigenum McClatchie [1]
Synonyms
R. lacustre var. molle A.Gray R. lentum (M.E.Jones) Coville & Rose R. nubigenum McClatchie  (basionym) Limnobotrya montigena (McClatchie) Rydb. List sources : [1][2]

Ribes montigenum is a species of currant known by the common names mountain gooseberry, alpine prickly currant, and gooseberry currant. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to California to New Mexico,^[2] where it grows in high mountain habitat types in subalpine and alpine climates, such as forests and talus. It is a spreading shrub growing up to 1.5 meters tall, the branching stems covered in prickles and hairs and bearing 1 to 5 sharp spines at intervals.

The lightly hairy, glandular leaves are up to 4 centimeters long and are divided into about five deeply cut or toothed lobes. Each is borne on a petiole several centimeters in length. 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 a acidic but tasty bright red to orange-red berry up to a centimeter long which is usually covered in soft bristles. It has only a small dried flower remnant at the end, compared with the long remnant found on wax currants (Ribes cereum).

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  berries

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  flowers

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Species was originally described and published, under the binomial Ribes nubigenum McClatchie (Erythea 2(5): 80. 1894.); under the binomial Ribes montigenum, species was published in Erythea: A journal of botany 5(3): 38. 1897. "Name - Ribes montigenum McClatchie". Tropicos. Saint Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden. http://www.tropicos.org/Name/29100526. Retrieved July 26, 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Profile for Ribes montigenum (gooseberry currant)". PLANTS Database. USDA, NRCS. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=RIMO2. Retrieved July 26, 2010. 

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment
• Flora of North America
• Washington Burke Museum
• Photo gallery