Ribes viscosissimum

Ribes viscosissimum is a North American species of currant known by the common name sticky currant. It is native to the Pacific Northwest, Columbia Plateau, Great Plains, Great Basin and Southwestern regions of western North America.[3][4][5]

Sticky currant
A sticky currant growing in Wenatchee National Forest
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Grossulariaceae
Genus: Ribes
Species:
R. viscosissimum
Binomial name
Ribes viscosissimum
Synonyms[2]
  • Ribes hallii Jancz.

Ribes viscosissimum grows in mountain forests, streambanks, and plateau sagebrush. It is a spreading to erect shrub growing one to two meters (40-80 inches) in height, its stem coated in sticky glandular hairs but lacking spines and bristles. It is resinous and fragrant. The highly glandular leaves have thick, rough blades divided into 3 rounded, toothed lobes, the lobes about the same size rather than having the middle lobe larger than the others as in some related species. The blades may be 8 centimeters (3.2 inches) long, borne on petioles up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) in length. The inflorescence is an erect or drooping raceme of several flowers clustered together. Each flower has a bell-shaped coat of five whitish, greenish, or pink-tinged sepals which spread at the tips into a corolla-like array, sometimes becoming reflexed. Inside are whitish petals surrounding the stamens and stigmas. The fruit is a blue-black berry a centimeter (0.4 inch) long or longer.[6][7] It has no known hazards, unlike its close relative, wax currant (Ribes cereum), large quantities of which can cause vomiting.

References
  1.  Species was collected on June 16, 1806, along the Lolo Trail in Idaho, by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis during their famous expedition. It was later described and published in Fl. Amer. Sept. (Pursh) 163. 1814. "Plant Name Details for Ribes viscosissimum". IPNI. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  2. The Plant List, Ribes viscosissimum var. hallii (Jancz.) Jancz.
  3. Calflora taxon report, University of California, Ribes viscosissimum Pursh, Sticky Current, Sticky flowering currant, sticky currant
  4. Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  5. SEINet, Southwestern Biodiversity, Arizona chapter
  6. Flora of North America, Ribes viscosissimum
  7. Pursh, Frederick Traugott 1813. Flora Americae Septentrionalis 1: 163–164 description in Latin, commentary in English
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