[Wildflowers with 5 Petals in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

The Gooseberry or Currant Family in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Grossulariaceae

Snow Gooseberry: Ribes niveum
Snow Gooseberry: Ribes niveum

Members of the Gooseberry Family Found in The Columbia River Gorge:

Mapleleaf Currant, Maple-leaf Currant: Ribes acerifolium (Synonym: Ribes howellii) -

Golden Currant: Ribes aureum var. aureum (Synonym: Chrysobotrya aurea) - Stems lacking spines or prickles. Hypanthium bell shaped or tubular. Flowers glabrous and bright yellow.

Blue Currant, California Black Currant, Stink Currant: Ribes bracteosum - Stems lacking spines or prickles. Inflorescence an erect to spreading raceme. Hypanthium saucer-shaped. Flowers greenish with purple-brown tinge. Leaf blades palmately lobed more than half the way into the center.

Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum (Synonyms: Ribes cereum var. inebrians, Ribes cereum var. pedicellare, Ribes inebrians, Ribes reniforme, Ribes viscidulum) - Stems lacking spines or prickles. Hypanthium tubular. Outer surface of flowers glabrous to pubescent or covered with gland-tipped hairs. Flowers greenish-white, white, or pinkish-tinged. Leaf blades 1.5-2.5 cm wide.

Coast Black Gooseberry, Spreading Gooseberry, Straggly Currant, Straggly Gooseberry: Ribes divaricatum var. divaricatum (Synonyms: Grossularia divaricata, Ribes divaricatum var. glabriflorum, Ribes divaricatum var. rigidum, Ribes suksdorfii) - Stems with spines at the nodes. Pedicels not jointed below the ovary. Flowers purplish or greeni with strong purple-tinge. Stamens longer than the calyx lobes by 1-2 mm. Filaments are glabrous.

Hudson Bay Currant, Northern Black Currant, Stinking Currant,Western Black Currant: Ribes hudsonianum (Synonyms: Ribes hudsonianum var. hudsonianum, Ribes hudsonianum var. petiolare, Ribes petiolare)

Whitestem Gooseberry: Ribes inerme var. inerme (Synonyms: Grossularia inermis, Grossularia inermis var. pubescens, Ribes divaricatum var. inerme, Ribes inerme var. subarmatum, Ribes valicola) - Stems with spines at the nodes. Pedicels not jointed below the ovary. Flowers yellowish-white or greenish-white. Stamens equal to or slightly longer than the calyx lobes. Filaments lacking hairs.

Bristly Currant, Bristly Black Gooseberry, Prickly Currant, Swamp Currant, Swamp Gooseberry: Ribes lacustre (Synonyms: Limnobotrya lacustris, Ribes lacustre var. parvulum, Ribes oxycanthoides var. lacustre) - Stems with spines or prickles at the nodes and often along the internodes. Pedicels jointed below the ovary. Hypanthium shallowly saucer-shaped with long gland-tipped hairs. Calyx lobes and petals pinkish.

Gummy Gooseberry, Oregon Gooseberry, Pioneer Gooseberry, Lobb's Gooseberry: Ribes lobbii (Synonym: Grossularia lobbii) - Stems with spines at the nodes. Pedicels not jointed below the ovary. Flowers reddish. Stamens about equal to the calyx lobes. Filaments lacking hairs.

Snake River Gooseberry, Snow Currant, Snow Gooseberry: Ribes niveum - Stems with prickles or spines at the nodes. Pedicels not jointed below the ovary. Flowers white. Stamens 2-3 mm longer than the calyx lobes. Filaments with spreading white hairs.

Blood Currant, Red Currant, Redflower Currant, Red-flowering Currant: Ribes sanguineum var. sanguineum (Synonyms: Ribes sanguineum var. deductum, Ribes sanguineum var. melanocarpum) - Shrub to small tree, to 9 feet tall. Flowers reddish & tubular. Leaves simple, palmately veined, usually no larger in diameter than a half dollar.

Hall's Sticky Currant, Mountain Currant, Sticky Currant: Ribes viscosissimum (Synonyms: Ribes hallii, Ribes viscosissimum var. hallii, Ribes viscosissimum var. viscosissimum) - Stems lacking spines or prickles. Stems, leaves and flowers noticeably glandular. Flowers greenish-white, white, or pinkish-tinged. Leaf blades 3-10 cm wide.


Paul Slichter E-mail