Al Schneider's Rocky Mountains Plant Descriptions

Wolf's Currant
Ribes wolfii
Currant family (Grossulariaceae)

Wolf's Currant (Ribes wolfii) is common to abundant in relatively moist forests and is often seen along rocky trails through Aspens. Its handsome leaves resemble miniature maple leaves. Wolf's Currant grows from four to six feet tall and wide, has gray bark; its branches have no . Ribes wolfii often spreads a mat of gray branches horizontally and close to the ground. Tiny, but very obvious sprays of white flowers protrude from stem tips but unfortunately most often do not produce . The rare that one does find are black, minutely hairy, and bitter. One frequently sees R. wolfii in the company of R. inerme and R. montigenum. John Wolf was a respected 19th century plant collector.


©2010 Russ Kleinman, Bill Norris, Kelly
Kindscher, & Danielle Walkup, Western New Mexico
University Department of Natural Sciences and the
Dale A. Zimmerman Herbarium

Description

Shrubs to 6' tall and spreading, without . Stems , young shoots hairy. Leaves to 4" wide, , but round in outline, 3-5 , above, usually somewhat hairy on the veins. slender, long, hairy. erect, 4-8 flowered. tube very short. Flowers white, petals shorter than . to about 1/2 ", blue to black, bitter.

Field Marks

Open, not dense, shrub with few , leaves, clusters of white flowers and blue .

© Al Schneider

lobe -- Being divided by clefts.

spine -- a stiff, sharp structure formed by the modification of a plant organ that contains vascular tissue. A spine can be formed by a latteral branch, a modified leaf or a thorn.

thorn -- a sharp, still point, usually a modified stem, that cannot be detached without tearing the subtending tissue. A spine.

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

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

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.

palmate -- Consisting of leaflets or lobes radiating from the base of the leaf.

petiole -- the stalk of a leaf.

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

subalpine -- Just below the timberline.