White-flowered currant

Plants usually deciduous, 1.5- 3 m. Stems erect, densely pubescent and glandular; spines at nodes absent; prickles on internodes absent. Leaves: petiole 0.5-2.5 cm, with long, glandular hairs at base; blade roundish to pentangular, 3-5-lobed, cleft less than 1/4 to midrib, 1-4 cm, base cordate, surfaces white-tomentose abaxially, hairy and stipitate-glandular adaxially, lobes deltate, margins crenate, apex obtuse. Inflorescences spreading, 10-25-flowered racemes, 2-5 cm, axis glandular-pubescent, flowers evenly spaced. Pedicels jointed, 1-2 mm, pubescent, stipitate-glandular; bracts narrowly lanceolate, 2-4 mm, crisped-puberulent, stipitate-glandular. Flowers: hypanthium greenish white, narrowly tubular-urceolate, 2.5-5 mm, pubescent, stipitate-glandular; sepals not overlapping, recurved, white, oblong to ovate, 1-2 mm; petals nearly connivent, erect, white, flabellate to spatulate-obovate, not conspicuously revolute or inrolled, 0.5-1 mm; nectary disc not prominent; stamens nearly as long as petals; filaments broadened at base, ca. 0.2 mm, pubescent; anthers white, ovate, 0.5-0.8 mm, apex minutely apiculate; ovary tomentose, stipitate-glandular; styles connate nearly to stigmas, 3-4 mm, tomentose entire length. Berries palatability not known, purple, globose, 6-7 mm, hairy, stipitate-glandular.

Flowering Nov-Apr. Chaparral, coastal sage scrub; 0-2000 m; Calif.; Mexico (Baja California).

Ribes indecorum occurs from Santa Barbara County south into Baja California. Its leaves are very rough to the touch and fragrant.