Ribes aureum
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| Ribes aureum var. aureum, Spring Mountains, Nevada. | |
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R. aureum
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| Binomial name | |
| Ribes aureum Pursh 1813
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Ribes aureum, known by the common names golden currant[2] and buffalo currant, is a species in the genus Ribes.[3] It is native to Canada, most of the United States (except the southeast) and northern Mexico. The species[4] Ribes odoratum is closely related, and sometimes named Ribes aureum var. villosum.[5]
Contents
Description
Ribes aureum is a small to medium-sized deciduous shrub, 2–3 metres (6.6–9.8 ft) tall. Leaves are green, with 3 or 5 lobes, turning 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 centimeter (0.4 inch) in diameter from an early age. Ripe fruits, amber yellow to black, are edible raw, but very tart, and are usually cooked with sugar. The flowers are also edible.[7][6]
Varieties
- Ribes aureum var. aureum (< 3,000 ft; western U.S.) [8]
- Ribes aureum var. gracillimum (< 3,000 ft; California coastal ranges) [9]
- Ribes aureum var. villosum — clove currant (syn: Ribes odoratum; west of Mississippi River) [5]
Uses
Cultivation
Ribes aureum is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant, in traditional, native plant, drought tolerant, and wildlife gardens, and natural landscaping projects.[10] Unlike some other species of currants, Ribes aureum is in the remarkably drought-tolerant group of Ribes. Named cultivars have been introduced also.
Culinary and medicinal
Golden currant is also planted for the edible berries. Although flowers are hermaphroditic, the yield is greatly benefited by cross-pollination.
The berries were used for food, and other plant parts for medicine, by various Native American groups across its range in North America.[7][11]
- Rust host
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][12]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ribes aureum. |
- Jepson Manual Treatment — Ribes aureum
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile: Ribes aureum (golden currant)
- University of Washington, Burke Museum
- Ribes aureum — Calphotos Photo gallery, University of California
- line drawing for Flora of Pakistan
- ↑ The Plant List, Ribes aureum Pursh
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Plants for a Future, Ribes aureum
- ↑ Plants for a Future, Ribes odoratum
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Flora of North America Ribes aureum var. villosum
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Flora of North America, Ribes aureum
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 USDA Species Profile
- ↑ Jepson Manual treatment for Ribes aureum var. aureum
- ↑ Jepson Manual treatment for Ribes aureum var. gracillimum
- ↑ Las Pilitas Nursery horticultural treatment: Ribes aureum . accessed 1.30.2013
- ↑ University of Michigan (Dearborn): Ethnobotany
- ↑ US Forest Service Fire Ecology
- Pages with reference errors
- Pages with broken file links
- Commons category link is defined as the pagename
- Ribes
- Berries
- Flora of Canada
- Flora of the United States
- Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
- Natural history of the California Coast Ranges
- Natural history of the Transverse Ranges
- Plants used in Native American cuisine
- Plants used in traditional Native American medicine
- Garden plants of North America
- Drought-tolerant plants
- Bird food plants
- Plants described in 1813
