Ribes aureum
| Golden currant | |
|---|---|
 | |
| R. aureum var. aureum, Spring Mountains, Nevada. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Saxifragales |
| Family: | Grossulariaceae |
| Genus: | Ribes |
| Subgenus: | Ribes subg. Ribes |
| Section: | Ribes sect. Symphocalyx |
| Species: | R. aureum |
| Binomial name | |
| Ribes aureum Pursh 1813 | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| List
| |
Ribes aureum, known by the common names golden currant,[3] clove currant, pruterberry and buffalo currant, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Ribes native to North America.[4]
Description
[edit]The plant is a small to medium-sized deciduous shrub, 2–3 metres (6+1⁄2–10 feet) tall. The leaves are green, semi-leathery,[5] with 3 or 5 lobes, and turn red in autumn.[6]
The plant blooms in spring with racemes of conspicuous golden yellow flowers, often with a pronounced, spicy fragrance similar to that of cloves or vanilla. Flowers may also be shades of cream to reddish, and are borne in clusters of up to 15.[7] The shrub produces berries about 1 centimetre (3⁄8 inch) in diameter from an early age. The ripe fruits are amber yellow to black.[7] Those of variety villosum are black.[8]
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Leaves -
Flower close-up -
Berries close-up -
Berries of R. aureum var. aureum -
Berries of R. aureum var. villosum
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Taxonomy
[edit]The species belongs to the subgenus Ribes, which contains other currants such as the blackcurrant (R. nigrum) and redcurrant (R. rubrum), and is the sole member of the section Symphocalyx.[9]
Varieties
[edit]- Ribes aureum var. aureum: below 910 m (3,000 ft) in the western U.S.[10]
- Ribes aureum var. gracillimum: below 910 m (3,000 ft) in the California Coast Ranges[11]
- Ribes aureum var. villosum – clove currant (syn: Ribes odoratum); native west of Mississippi River, but naturalized further to the east[12]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Ribes aureum is native to Canada and the central United States west of the Mississippi River, but has escaped cultivation and naturalized in the eastern United States.[13][12]
It can be found around gravel banks and plains around flowing water.[5]
Ecology
[edit]Pollinators of the plant include hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. The fruit is eaten by various birds and mammals.[14]
This currant species is susceptible to white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), a fungus which attacks and kills pines, so it is sometimes eradicated from forested areas where the fungus is active to prevent its spread.[7][15]
Cultivation
[edit]R. aureum is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant, in traditional, native plant, drought tolerant, and wildlife gardens, and natural landscaping projects.[16] Named cultivars have been also introduced.
Although the flowers are hermaphroditic, the yield is greatly benefited by cross-pollination.
Uses
[edit]The fruits are edible raw, but are very tart or bitter.[17] They are usually cooked with sugar and can be made into jelly.[5] The flowers are also edible.[7][6]
The berries were used for food, and other plant parts for medicine, by various Native American groups across its range in North America.[7][18]
References
[edit]- ^ NatureServe (2024). "Ribes aureum". Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
- ^ "Ribes aureum". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Ribes aureum". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
- ^ "Ribes aureum". Plants for a Future.
- ^ a b c Taylor, Ronald J. (1994) [1992]. Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary (rev. ed.). Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Pub. Co. p. 42. ISBN 0-87842-280-3. OCLC 25708726.
- ^ a b Morin, Nancy R. (2009). "Ribes aureum". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 8. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- ^ a b c d e USDA Species Profile
- ^ "Ribes aureum var. villosum (Clove currant) | Native Plants of North America". Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The University of Texas at Austin. 2018-01-25. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
- ^ "Ribes aureum". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
- ^ Jepson Manual treatment for Ribes aureum var. aureum
- ^ Jepson Manual treatment for Ribes aureum var. gracillimum
- ^ a b Morin, Nancy R. (2009). "Ribes aureum var. villosum". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 8. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- ^ "Ribes odoratum". Plants for a Future.
- ^ "Ribes aureum (Golden currant) | Native Plants of North America". Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The University of Texas at Austin. 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
- ^ Marshall, K. Anna (1995). "Ribes aureum". Fire Effects Information System (FEIS). US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service (USFS), Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory.
- ^ Las Pilitas Nursery horticultural treatment: Ribes aureum . accessed 1.30.2013
- ^ Fagan, Damian (2019). Wildflowers of Oregon: A Field Guide to Over 400 Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Coast, Cascades, and High Desert. Guilford, CT: FalconGuides. p. 127. ISBN 978-1-4930-3633-2. OCLC 1073035766.
- ^ University of Michigan (Dearborn): Ethnobotany
External links
[edit]
- Jepson Manual Treatment – Ribes aureum
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile: Ribes aureum (golden currant)
- University of Washington, Burke Museum
- Line drawing for Flora of Pakistan
- "Ribes aureum". Plants for a Future.
- Ribes aureum in the CalPhotos photo database, University of California, Berkeley