Ground Gooseberry

Description

Ribes binominatum is a low, spreading shrub no more than a meter (40 inches) tall, and often quite a bit shorter. Nodes along the stem each bear three spines up to 2 centimeters in length. The hairy, glandular leaves are 2 to 5 centimeters (0.8-2.0 inch) long and deeply divided into 3 or 5 rounded, toothed lobes. The inflorescence is a solitary flower or a raceme of up to four flowers which dangling from the branches. The flower has five fuzzy sepals in shades of pale green, sometimes edged with red, which are reflexed upward. At the center is a tubular corolla of white or pinkish petals around five stamens and two shorter styles. The fruit is a yellowish green berry about a centimeter (0.4 inch) wide which is covered in long prickles which harden into spines.