Al Schneider's Rocky Mountains Plant Descriptions

Golden Currant
Ribes aureum
Currant family (Grossulariaceae)

Golden Currant's delicate lemon-yellow flowers show brightly in early spring-green foliage. The flowers are followed by golden, then orange, then red, juicy and very tasty . Golden Currant varies from relatively uncommon to sometimes abundant in the foothills along streams and ponds. Its gently scalloped leaves often change to deep maroon in the fall. Ribes aureum was first collected by Meriwether Lewis in April of 1806 in what is now the state of Washington "on the banks of the rivers Missouri and Columbia." "Aureum" is Latin for "gold." The name "Ribes" is of disputed meaning: one version states that it comes from the Danish "," a common name for some type of Red Currant. Another version is that "Ribes" is from the Arabic name for similar plants. Linnaeus named this in 1753.


©2010 Matt Lavin

Description

Shrubs to 9+' tall and equally as wide, spineless, throughout or leaves with some hairs. New shoots arise from roots. Leaves up to 2" across, circular with 3-5 gentle . sometimes as long as leaf . 2-15 flowered on short . Flowers fragrant. yellow. Petals about 1/10" long, yellow, sometimes tipped with red. Edible to 2/5" across, golden, orange, or red.

Field Marks

Large spreading and upright shrub covered with bright yellow flowers in the spring and yellow and red in the summer.

© Al Schneider

A raceme is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along its axis.

pedicel -- The stem of a single flower.

lobe -- A rounded parts of a leaf (or other organ).

ribbed -- having prominent, narrow parallel protrusions that extend over most of its length or circumference.

calyx -- the sepals of a flower, typically forming a whorl that encloses the petals and forms a protective layer around a flower in bud.

fruit -- any seed-bearing structure in flowering plants. It is formed from the ovary after flowering.

The botanical term "berry" is different from common usage. Strawberries and raspberries are not berries. But a tomatoe is. A true berry is a fruit with the seeds immersed in the pulp.

petiole -- the stalk of a leaf.

genus -- A subdivision of a botanical Family in which all members have a significant number of similar characteristics.

blade -- Just the flat part of a leaf. Not the stem.

glabrous -- smooth, glossy, having no bristles or hair-like structures. Bald.