''Ribes thacherianum'', with the common name Santa Cruz gooseberry, or Santa Cruz Island gooseberry, is a rare North American species of
currant found only on one island off the coast of California.
[Calflora taxon report, University of California, ''Ribes thacherianum'' (Jepson) Munz, Santa Cruz Island gooseberry, Santa Cruz gooseberry ]
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Description
''Ribes thacherianum'' is an erect 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 ...
growing to a maximum height around 2.5 meters (over 8 feet). The stems are coated in soft light hairs and bristles, and many of the stem nodes bear hard spines. The leaves are 2 to 3 centimeters (0.8-1.2 inches) long and shallowly divided into five dully toothed lobes.[Flora of North America]
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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 made up of one or two flowers. Each flower has five reflexed pink 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 around a tube made up of smaller white petals. The 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 protrude from the corolla. The fruit is a purple 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 7 millimeters wide which is covered densely in bristles and hairs.[
]
Distribution
''Ribes thacherianum'' is endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to Santa Cruz Island, one of the northern Channel Islands of California, and within Channel Islands National Park.[ It grows in the pine woodlands of the coastal ravines.
]
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Ribes thacherianum''California Native Plant Society Rare Plant Profile: ''Ribes thacherianum''''Ribes thacherianum'' - Calphotos Photo gallery, University of California
thacherianum
Endemic flora of California
Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
Natural history of the Channel Islands of California
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Natural history of Santa Barbara County, California
Plants described in 1936
Taxa named by Willis Linn Jepson
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