Ribes cereum Douglas

Wax currant (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Saxifragales > Grossulariaceae > Ribes

Characteristics

Plants 0.2-2 m. Stems spreading or arching to erect, puberulent, sparsely to copiously stipitate-glandular; spines at nodes absent; prickles on internodes absent. Leaves: petiole (0.3-) 0.6-1.2(-2.8) cm, glabrous or finely to copiously pubescent; blade almost reniform to broadly cuneate-flabellate, 3-5(-7)-lobed, shallowly cleft, (0.5-) 1-2(-4) cm, base cordate to truncate, surfaces glabrous or copiously pubescent, sparsely stipitate-glandular to downy to conspicuously stipitate-glandular and sessile-glandular, particularly noticeable on margins, lobes rounded, margins coarsely crenate-dentate, apex obtuse. Inflorescences pendent, solitary flowers or 2-8(-9)-flowered racemes, 1-3 cm, axis finely pubescent, ± sticky with short-stalked to subsessile glands, flowers tightly clustered at end of peduncle. Pedicels jointed, (0.4-) 1-2.2(-3.4) mm, puberulent; bracts flabellate or ovate to obovate, 3-7(-8.8) mm, pubescent, stipitate-glandular. Flowers: hypanthium white to greenish white with pink tinge, or pinkish white, narrowly tubular, tube widest at base and near throat, 5-9(-9.4) mm, densely hairy and scattered stipitate-glandular abaxially, glabrous adaxially; sepals not overlapping, spreading-recurved, greenish white to white or faintly to strongly pinkish tinged, deltate-ovate, 1-3.2 mm; petals connivent, erect, white to pink, orbiculate or flabellate, not conspicuously revolute or inrolled, 1-2.1 mm; nectary disc not prominent; stamens shorter than petals, (inserted below petals and completely included in hypanthium tube); filaments linear, 0.5-1.6 mm, glabrous; anthers pale cream-yellow to yellow, oval, 0.6-1.2 mm, apex with small, cup-shaped gland; ovary glabrous or hairy or sparsely to densely pubescent; styles connate nearly to stigmas, 7.5-11.5 mm, proximally hairy or glabrous. Berries tasteless, dull to bright red or orange-red, ovoid, 5-12 mm, sparsely glandular to glandular. 2n = 16.
More
A shrub. It grows 0.9-1.8 m high and spreads 0.9 m wide. It has smooth stems. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves are rounded or kidney shaped. They have 3-5 lobes. They are downy and have shallow teeth along the edge. The flowers are white or pale green and hang down. The fruit are shiny and red.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.9
Mature height (meter) 1.5 - 1.8
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) 0.3
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Canyons, dry ravines, hillsides, prairies and open woodland. Open forests, dry shrublands, rocky slopes, cliffs; at elevations from 100-4,000 metres.
More
It is a temperate plant. It grows on subalpine slopes and clearings in the Rocky Mountains. It suits hardiness zones 5-9.
Light 6-8
Soil humidity 2-5
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity 4-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-8

Usage

The fruit are eaten fresh or dried. They are used in jellies, jams, sauces and pies. They are dry and have little taste. Young leaves are sometimes eaten. The flowers can be eaten.
Uses animal food environmental use forage gene source medicinal
Edible flowers fruits leaves
Therapeutic use Eye Medicine (bark), Emetic (fruit), Antidiarrheal (fruit), Gastrointestinal Aid (unspecified), Pediatric Aid (unspecified), Strengthener (unspecified), Ceremonial Medicine (unspecified), Dermatological Aid (unspecified), Emetic (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown by seeds or cuttings.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -20
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Ribes cereum leaf picture by jimmysong (cc-by-sa)
Ribes cereum leaf picture by Meghan Anderson (cc-by-sa)
Ribes cereum leaf picture by fisher60 (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Ribes cereum flower picture by Susan Graham (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Ribes cereum fruit picture by jimmysong (cc-by-sa)
Ribes cereum fruit picture by Snow Larkman (cc-by-sa)
Ribes cereum fruit picture by fisher60 (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Ribes cereum world distribution map, present in Canada and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30020120-2
WFO ID wfo-0001135591
COL ID 4SY8X
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Ribes spachii Ribes balsamiferum Cerophyllum inebrians Ribes viscidulum Ribes reniforme Ribes inebrians Ribes spathianum Ribes churchii Ribes cereum var. cereum Ribes cereum var. pedicellare Ribes cereum

Lower taxons

Ribes inebrians var. spaethianum Ribes cereum var. colubrinum