Ribes oxyacanthoides

Northern Gooseberry

Early Fruit and Leaves

Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park
01-July-08

There are spines at the nodes, and prickles on the internodes.

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.  

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

 

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.
plants NOT aquatic
plants green; NOT [plants white, pink or reddish brown]
shrubs; NOT [herbs]
plants armed with prickles, spines or thorns; NOT [plants unarmed]
leaves or branches armed, not both; NOT [leaves and branches both armed]
branches with needle-like spines; NOT [branches with stout thorns (1) 2-7 cm long]
leaves alternate; NOT [leaves opposite], NOT [leaves whorled]
leaves well developed; NOT [leaves reduced to scales]
leaves NOT pinnate
leaves NOT spiny-margined
perianth 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]
corolla 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.)
stamens 5; NOT [stamens 10], NOT [stamens more than twice as many as the petals, usually numerous]