Ribes bracteosum

Ribes bracteosum, the stink currant,^[1] is a species of currant native to western coastal North America.

Ribes bracteosum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Saxifragales
Family:	Grossulariaceae
Genus:	Ribes
Species:	R. bracteosum
Binomial name
Ribes bracteosum Dougl. 1832

R. bracteosum is a deciduous shrub, without thorns, growing to 3 metres (10 feet) tall.^[2] The leaves are 5–20 centimetres (2–8 inches) across, palmately lobed with 5 or 7 lobes. The flowers are produced in spring after the leaves emerge, on racemes 15–30 cm (6–12 in) long containing 20–40 flowers; each flower is 5–10 millimetres (3⁄16–3⁄8 inch) in diameter, with five white or greenish-tinged petals. The fruit, born in clusters, is dark blue with a whitish bloom.^[3]

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  Plant in the U.S.
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  Leaf structure
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  Buds
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  Close-up of flowers
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  Ripe fruit

Distribution and habitat

It is native to western coastal North America from southeastern Alaska to Mendocino County in California.^[4][5] Its habitats include stream banks, moist woods, shorelines and thickets.^[3]

Uses

The fruit is edible but sometimes unpleasant.^[3][2]