Ribes hudsonianum

Northern Black Currant

Leaf Bottom Close-Up

Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park
30-May-2008

Note the yellow glands.

The Ribes genus was previously placed within a traditional version of the Saxifragaceae family which included a great many diverse genera.  That version of the Saxifragaceae family is now considered to be polyphyletic, and the family is now much reduced.  Ribes has been moved to a new family called Grossulariaceae, within which Ribes is the only genus.  Budd's Flora (1987) still places Ribes in Saxifragaceae, while Flora of Alberta (1994) places it in Grossulariaceae.

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Hudsonianum: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora (BF)  and Flora of Alberta (FOA) leading to this species. 
bulletstems not spiny, or spines only at the nodes; NOT [stems densely spiny along the internodes] (BF)
bulletstems not prickly; NOT [stems more or less prickly] (FOA)
bulletstems not bristly; NOT [stems usually bristly] (FOA)
bulletleaves plicate (folded) in the bud; NOT [leaves convolute (rolled) in the bud]
bulletNOT [plants with leaves, young stems, inflorescence and fruits all glandular-puberulent]
bulletleaves dotted beneath with resinous glands or bearing stalked glands; NOT [leaves without resinous glands]
bulletinflorescence an elongated raceme, flowers numerous; NOT [inflorescence a reduced raceme, 1- to 3- flowered]
bulletpedicels much longer than the bracts; NOT [pedicels much shorter than the bracts]
bulletpedicels jointed below the ovary
bulletflowers regular; NOT [flowers slightly irregular]
bullethypanthium-tube broadly cup-shaped; NOT [hypanthium-tube tubular to narrowly cup-shaped]
bulletflowers not golden yellow; NOT [flowers golden yellow to somewhat reddish]
bulletsepals white; NOT [sepals greenish white or yellowish]
bulletovary usually with a few sessile glands; NOT [ovary lacking sessile glands]
bulletovary and fruit glabrous; NOT [ovary and fruit more or less densely glandular pubescent]
bulletfruits black when mature; NOT [fruits reddish or blue-black when mature]

 

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Grossulariaceae: Answers to key questions in Flora of Alberta leading to this family.  Note these answers only apply to the unarmed members of the family.
bulletshrubs; NOT [herbs]
bulletplants NOT aquatic
bulletplants green; NOT [plants white, pink or reddish brown]
bulletplants unarmed; NOT [plants armed with prickles, spines or thorns]
bulletleaves alternate; NOT [leaves opposite or whorled]
bulletleaves well developed; NOT [leaves reduced to scales]
bulletleaves not needle-like; NOT [leaves needle-like 5-10 mm long]
bulletperianth biseriate (i.e. of two different series of appendages, the inner generally larger, coloured, the outer generally smaller, greenish); NOT [perianth uniseriate (i.e. of only one series of appendages all more or less the same) or entirely absent]
bulletcorolla of separate petals; NOT [corolla of united petals, or only 2 or 3 petals connate or united and the flowers markedly irregular] (Note: the bases of the sepals, petals, and stamens of Grossulariaceae are fused to create a hypanthium which arises from the top of the inferior ovary.  Above the hypanthium the petals are distinct.)
bulletstamens alternate with the petals; NOT [stamens opposite the petals]
bulletstamens 5
bulletovary inferior; NOT [ovary superior]
bulletfruit yellow, red or black; NOT [fruit white or orange-red]
bulletfruit several-seeded; NOT [fruit 1-seeded]
bulletNOT [plants 1-2 dm tall, with small appressed leaves; pubescent; flowers yellow; of sandy habitats]