Flora of the Southeastern United States

1 Flowers solitary or in corymbs of 2-4; pedicels not jointed just beneath the ovary or fruit, the fruit not disarticulating at maturity and thus the fruit shed with the entire pedicel; stems generally with (0-) 1-3 nodal spines and sometimes also with internodal bristles (especially on young, vigorous growth) (though these sometimes absent or nearly so in some species); [subgenus Grossularia, "gooseberries"].

  2 Ovary and fruit glabrous.

    3 Stamens (at full anthesis) 3-4.5 mm long, about equaling the calyx lobes

    3 Stamens (at full anthesis) 6-12 mm long, exserted well beyond the calyx lobes.

      4 Calyx tube white; stamens 9-12 mm long; nodal spines 1-3 per node, 7-18 mm long, stout

      4 Calyx tube purplish or purplish-green; stamens 6-8 mm long; nodal spines 0-1 (-2) per node, 3-11 mm long, slender

  2 Ovary and fruit hairy or bristly.

        5 Stamens (at full anthesis) 9-15 mm long, exserted well beyond the calyx lobes; calyx lobes 4-7 mm long; petals 2-3 mm long

        5 Stamens (at full anthesis) <7.5 mm long, shorter than the calyx lobes; calyx lobes either 2.5-4 mm long or 7.5-9 mm long; petals 1-2.5 mm long.

          6 Calyx lobes 7.5-9 mm long; stamens 6-7.5 mm long

          6 Calyx lobes 2.5-4 mm long; stamens 1-2 mm long or 4-6 mm long

             7 Fruit hispid; stamens 1-2 mm long; peduncles 7-25 mm long; pedicels 5-16 mm long; [of native habitats of the Mountains]

             7 Fruit glandular-pubescent; stamens 4-6 mm long ; peduncles < 5 mm long; pedicels < 5 mm long; [exotic]

1 Flowers in racemes of 4-many; pedicels jointed just beneath the ovary or fruit, a portion of the pedicel thus remaining attached to the plant when mature fruits or aborted flowers are shed, the fruit disarticulating at maturity; stems lacking nodal spines and internodal bristles (except R. lacustre); [subgenus Ribes, "currants"].

               8 Ovaries and fruits bristly or spiny with gland-tipped hairs.

                 9 Stems (especially young, vigorous growth) with internodal bristles and sometimes internodal spines; racemes spreading to drooping; fruit purple or black when mature

               8 Ovaries and fruits glabrous or with sessile glands.

                   10 Lower leaf surface with scattered golden glands; fruit black when mature (except sometimes in R. aureum var. villosum).

                     11 Bracts of the pedicels 0.5-2 mm long; ovaries and fruits with sessile glands; fruits black when mature

                     11 Bracts of the pedicels 3-10 mm long; ovaries and fruits glabrous; fruits black, red, brown, or orange when mature.

                       12 Pedicels 0.1-2 mm long, shorter than the lanceolate bracts (which are 3-10 mm long); fruits black when mature

                       12 Pedicels 2-8 mm long, about as long as the obovate bracts (which are 4-9 mm long); fruits black (rarely red, orange, brown, or yellow) when mature

                   10 Lower leaf surface lacking golden glands.

                          13 Hypanthium narrowly tubular, 6-20 mm long; fruits black (rarely red, orange, brown, or yellow) when mature; sepals golden yellow

                          13 Hypanthium saucer-shaped, < 1 mm long; fruits bright red when mature; sepals brown, greenish brown, or greenish purple.

                            14 Pedicels glabrous; petals cream to pinkish; anther sacs separated by a connective as broad as the anther sacs; erect shrub [cultivated and sometimes persisting or escaping]

                            14 Pedicels stipitate-glandular; petals reddish purple; anther sacs almost adjacent, the connective much narrower than the sacs; declining or ascending shrub; [native]

1 Leaves 1-5 cm long and wide, serrate with rounded teeth; plants usually with nodal spines; inflorescence a raceme of 1-4 flowers; pedicel not jointed below the fruit.

  2 Ovary with glandular hairs which become stiff spines on the mature fruit; leaf bases cordate to deeply cordate (rarely truncate or cuneate), the angle of leaf tissue mostly 190-230º, moderately to sparsely silvery-pilose beneath, usually on the surface as well as on the veins and in the vein axils; stamens at full anthesis equaling the petals

  2 Ovary and fruit glabrous; leaf bases rounded or cuneate (rarely truncate or cordate), the angle of leaf tissue mostly 130-170º, glabrescent to sparsely pubescent beneath (mostly on the veins and in the vein axils); stamens at full anthesis exceeding the petals