Kingdom Plantae Family Grossulariaceae Rank Species | Order Saxifragales Genus Ribes | |
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Similar Ribes montigenum, Ribes lacustre, Ribes hudsonianum, Ribes inerme, Ribes laxiflorum | ||
Ribes viscosissimum is a North American species of currant known by the common name sticky currant. It is native to western Canada and the western United States from British Columbia and Alberta south as far as California, Arizona, and Colorado.
Ribes viscosissimum grows in mountain forests, streambanks, and plateau sagebrush. It is a spreading to erect shrub growing one to two meters (40-80 inches) in height, its stem coated in sticky glandular hairs but lacking spines and bristles. It is resinous and fragrant. The highly glandular leaves have thick, rough blades divided into 3 rounded, toothed lobes, the lobes about the same size rather than having the middle lobe larger than the others as in some related species. The blades may be 8 centimeters (3.2 inches) long, borne on petioles up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) in length. The inflorescence is an erect or drooping raceme of several flowers clustered together. Each flower has a bell-shaped coat of five whitish, greenish, or pink-tinged sepals which spread at the tips into a corolla-like array, sometimes becoming reflexed. Inside are whitish petals surrounding the stamens and stigmas. The fruit is a blue-black berry a centimeter (0.4 inch) long or longer. It is said to cause violent vomiting shortly after ingestion.
