''Ribes inerme'' is a species of currant known by the common names whitestem gooseberry and white stemmed gooseberry. It is native to western North America from

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

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 westward to the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

. It grows in mountain forests, woodlands, and meadows. The less common ''Ribes inerme'' var. ''klamathense'', known as Klamath gooseberry, is confined to the states of California and Oregon. Calflora taxon report, University of California: ''Ribes inerme'' var. ''klamathense'
/ref>

Description

''Ribes inerme'' is an erect or spreading thicketlike

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 ...

approaching in maximum height. The stem is hairless or bristly and has black resin glands and spines at its nodes. The small leaves are divided deeply into three to five toothed lobes which may be divided partway into smaller lobes.Flora of North America: ''Ribes inerme'' (whitestem gooseberry)
/ref> 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

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 five flowers which hangs pendent. The flower has five reddish green

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 which are reflexed upward. At the center are white or pinkish petals and protruding

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 stigmas. The fruit is an edible hairless greenish, purple, or black

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 ...

roughly a centimeter (0.4 inch) wide.

Varieties

*''Ribes inerme'' var. ''inerme'' Calflora taxon report, University of California: ''Ribes inerme'' var. ''inerme''
/ref> *''Ribes inerme'' var. ''klamathense'' — Klamath gooseberry

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment — ''Ribes inerme''Calflora taxon report, University of California: ''Ribes inerme'' (white stemmed gooseberry)''Ribes inerme'' Calphotos Photo gallery, University of California
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7322346 inerme Flora of the Western United States Flora of Western Canada Plants described in 1900 Flora without expected TNC conservation status