Ribes oxyacanthoides

Northern Gooseberry

Branch, Leaves, and Flowers

Glenburn Regional Park
16-May-08

There are spines at the nodes and prickles on the internodes.  The leaves are alternate, but this is not readily apparent because they are also fascicled (clustered).

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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Oxyacanthoides: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora (BF)  and Flora of Alberta (FOA) leading to this species. 
bulletstems more or less prickly; NOT [stems not prickly]
bulletstems usually bristly; NOT [stems not bristly]
bulletfruiting stems usually bristly; NOT [fruiting stems rarely with bristles on the middle and upper internodes]
bulletinflorescence a reduced raceme, 1- to 3- flowered; NOT [inflorescence an elongated raceme, flowers numerous]
bulletpedicels NOT jointed below the ovary
bulletcalyx tubular to cup-shaped; NOT [calyx saucer-shaped]
bulletstamens shorter than the sepals; NOT [stamens about equalling the sepals]
bulletstamens about as long as the petals; NOT [stamens longer than the petals]
bulletfruit smooth; NOT [berries bristly glandular]
bulletfruit red to black; NOT [berries black]

 

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Grossulariaceae: Answers to key questions in Flora of Alberta leading to this family.  Note these answers only apply to the armed members of the family.
bulletplants NOT aquatic
bulletplants green; NOT [plants white, pink or reddish brown]
bulletshrubs; NOT [herbs]
bulletplants armed with prickles, spines or thorns; NOT [plants unarmed]
bulletleaves or branches armed, not both; NOT [leaves and branches both armed]
bulletbranches with needle-like spines; NOT [branches with stout thorns (1) 2-7 cm long]
bulletleaves alternate; NOT [leaves opposite], NOT [leaves whorled]
bulletleaves well developed; NOT [leaves reduced to scales]
bulletleaves NOT pinnate
bulletleaves NOT spiny-margined
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 5; NOT [stamens 10], NOT [stamens more than twice as many as the petals, usually numerous]