Ribes thacherianum

Ribes thacherianum, with the common name Santa Cruz gooseberry, or Santa Cruz Island gooseberry, is a rare North American species of currant found only on one island off the coast of California.[3]

Ribes thacherianum
R. thacherianum growing in Escondido, California

Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Grossulariaceae
Genus: Ribes
Species:
R. thacherianum
Binomial name
Ribes thacherianum
(Jeps.) Munz 1958[1]
Synonyms[1][2]

R. menziesii var. thacherianum Jeps. 1936 (basionym)

Description

Ribes thacherianum is an erect shrub growing to a maximum height around 2.5 meters (over 8 feet). The stems are coated in soft light hairs and bristles, and many of the stem nodes bear hard spines. The leaves are 2 to 3 centimeters (0.8-1.2 inches) long and shallowly divided into five dully toothed lobes.[4]

The inflorescence is made up of one or two flowers. Each flower has five reflexed pink sepals around a tube made up of smaller white petals. The stamens and stigmas protrude from the corolla. The fruit is a purple berry about 7 millimeters wide which is covered densely in bristles and hairs.[4]

Distribution

Ribes thacherianum is endemic to Santa Cruz Island, one of the northern Channel Islands of California, and within Channel Islands National Park.[3] It grows in the pine woodlands of the coastal ravines.

References
  1.  In: Aliso. A series of papers on the native plants of California 4: 92. 1958. "Plant Name Details for Ribes thacherianum". IPNI. Retrieved July 21, 2010. Notes: R. menziesii var. thacherianum
  2.  Treated as Ribes menziesii variety thacherianum, this species was first described and published in A Flora of California 2: 156. 1936 "Plant Name Details for Ribes menziesii var. thacherianum". IPNI. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
  3. Calflora taxon report, University of California, Ribes thacherianum (Jepson) Munz, Santa Cruz Island gooseberry, Santa Cruz gooseberry
  4. Flora of North America


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