''Ribes binominatum'' is a species of currant known by the common names trailing gooseberry and ground gooseberry. It is native to the Klamath Mountains and adjacent northern

California Coast Ranges The Coast Ranges of California span from Del Norte or Humboldt County, California, south to Santa Barbara County. The other three coastal California mountain ranges are the Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges and the Klamath Mountains. P ...

, in far northern

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

and western

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

.Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
/ref> It grows in higher-elevation forests and meadows.Calflora taxon report, University of California, ''Ribes binominatum'' A.A. Heller, ground gooseberry, trailing gooseberry
/ref>

Description

''Ribes binominatum'' is a low, spreading

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

no more than a meter (40 inches) tall, and often quite a bit shorter. Nodes along the stem each bear three spines up to 2 centimeters in length. The hairy, glandular leaves are 2 to 5 centimeters (0.8-2.0 inch) long and deeply divided into 3 or 5 rounded, toothed lobes. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

is a solitary flower or a

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

of up to four flowers which dangling from the branches. The flower has five fuzzy

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s in shades of pale green, sometimes edged with red, which are reflexed upward. At the center is a tubular corolla of white or pinkish petals around five

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s and two shorter styles.Flora of North America, ''Ribes binominatum''
/ref> The fruit is a yellowish green

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

about a centimeter (0.4 inch) wide which is covered in long prickles which harden into spines.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment — ''Ribes binominatum''United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile
* binominatum Flora of California Flora of Oregon Flora of the Klamath Mountains Endemic flora of the United States Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Taxa named by Amos Arthur Heller Plants described in 1898 {{Saxifragales-stub