''Ribes californicum'', with the common name hillside gooseberry, is a North American species of currant. It is endemic to California, where it can be found throughout many of the

California Coast Coastal California, also known as the California Coastline and the Golden Coast, refers to the coastal regions of the U.S. state of California. The term is not primarily geographical as it also describes an area distinguished by cultural, economic ...

Transverse Transverse may refer to: *Transverse engine, an engine in which the crankshaft is oriented side-to-side relative to the wheels of the vehicle *Transverse flute, a flute that is held horizontally * Transverse force (or ''Euler force''), the tangen ...

, and

Peninsular Ranges The Peninsular Ranges (also called the Lower California province) are a group of mountain ranges that stretch from Southern California to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges, which ...

in local habitat types such as

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...

and woodlands.Calflora taxon report, University of California, ''Ribes californicum'' Hook. & Arn., California gooseberry, hillside gooseberry
/ref>

Description

''Ribes californicum'' is a mostly erect shrub growing to a maximum height around . Nodes along the stem each bear three spines up to in length. The hairy to hairless leaves are long and divided into oblong, toothed lobes. The inflorescence is a solitary flower or

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 three flowers which hang pendent from the branches. The flower has five sepals in shades of deep red or green with a red tinge, 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 longer styles. The fruit is an edible red berry about a centimeter wide which is covered in stiff spines.Flora of North America; ''Ribes californicum''
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Varieties

*''Ribes californicum'' var. ''californicum'' - mostly

Coast Ranges The Pacific Coast Ranges (officially gazetted as the Pacific Mountain System in the United States) are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico. Although the ...

from Ventura County to Mendocino County, with additional populations in

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

*''Ribes californicum'' var. ''hesperium'' - primarily San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Ribes californicum''United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile; Ribes californicum''Ribes californicum'' - Calphotos Photo gallery, University of California
{{- californicum Endemic flora of California Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Plants described in 1839 Garden plants of North America Flora without expected TNC conservation status