48. Ribes divaricatum Douglas, Trans. Hort. Soc. London. 7: 515. 1830.
Straggly gooseberry
Grossularia divaricata (Douglas) Coville & Britton
Plants 1-3 m. Stems erect to spreading, ± pubescent through-out; spines at nodes absent or 1-3, 5-20 mm; prickles on internodes absent or sparse. Leaves: petiole 1-3 cm, pilose with glandular and eglandular hairs, some plumose hairs at base; blade roundish to nearly reniform, 3- (or 5-)lobed, cleft 1/2 to midrib, proximal segments again shallowly cleft into 2 unequal lobes, 2-3.5 cm, base rounded to cordate, surfaces pubescent abaxially, subglabrous or finely pubescent adaxially, lobes cuneate, margins prominently crenate-serrate, apex rounded. Inflorescences pendent, solitary flowers or 2-4-flowered racemes, 2-4 cm, axis glabrous or pilose, flowers evenly spaced. Pedicels not jointed, 3-12 mm, glabrous or pilose; bracts oval, 1-2 mm, glabrous or ciliate with stiff hairs and glands. Flowers: hypanthium greenish or purplish, obconic, 1.5-3.5 mm, glabrous or copiously pubescent; sepals not overlapping, spreading-reflexed, red or reddish or purplish green, narrowly oblong-deltate, 3.4-6 mm; petals distally nearly connivent to overlapping, erect, white or pink to red, cuneate-lunate to obovate, not conspicuously revolute or inrolled, 1.2-3 mm; nectary disc not prominent; stamens 2.5-3.5 times as long as petals; filaments linear, 3.5-7 mm, glabrous; anthers cream, oval, 1 mm, apex rounded; ovary glabrous; styles connate ca. 1/2 their lengths, 5-11 mm, copiously pilose-villous in proximal 3/4. Berries palatable, purplish black, subglobose, 6-12 mm, glabrous. 2n = 16.
Varieties 3 (3 in the flora): w North America.
Hybrids between Ribes divaricatum and R. niveum and R. divaricatum and R. lobbii have been propagated for the horticultural trade.
