3. Ribes missouriense Nutt. (Missouri gooseberry)

R. missouriense var. ozarkanum Fassett

R. gracile Michx.

Grossularia missouriense (Nutt.) Coville & Britton

Pl. 423 j–l; Map 1891

Stems 1–2 m long, erect and arching to sprawling, rarely armed with internodal bristles, more commonly with nodal spines 7–18 mm long, these reddish brown to brown. Bark smooth or somewhat scaly, peeling or shredding in narrow papery strips, dark gray to reddish brown. Petioles 0.6–2.0 cm long, often with dense nonglandular hairs but rarely with capitate-glandular hairs. Leaf blades 0.5–3.0 cm long, broadly obovate to circular or broadly ovate in outline, broadly narrowed to rounded or sometimes subcordate at the base, the lobes mostly rounded to bluntly pointed at the tip, the margins bluntly to sharply, sometimes irregularly, but mostly simply toothed, the upper surface sparsely to moderately minutely nonglandular-hairy, becoming glabrous or nearly so and somewhat shiny with age, the undersurface sparsely and minutely nonglandular-hairy, especially along the veins, becoming glabrous or nearly so with age. Inflorescences small umbellate clusters of 2–4 pendant flowers or occasionally the flowers solitary. Flower stalks 4–13 mm long, not jointed. Hypanthium shortly cylindric, the tubular portion above the ovary 1.5–2.5 mm long, greenish white to cream-colored, sometimes purplish-tinged, glabrous or sometimes with sparse minute nonglandular hairs. Sepals 5–8 mm long, oblong-linear, white to cream-colored. Petals 2.0–3.5 mm long, narrowly oblong-obovate, white, sometimes pinkish-tinged with age. Stamens long-exserted. Ovary glabrous. Berries 6–12 mm long, globose, glabrous, without prickles, green and translucent when young, becoming red to purple at maturity. 2n=16. April–May.

Scattered nearly throughout the state (northeastern U.S. west to North Dakota and Oklahoma; Canada). Mesic to dry upland forests, banks of streams and rivers, and less commonly bottomland forests; also roadsides.

Ribes missouriense is the most common species of gooseberry in Missouri, and dense populations are an indication that a site has a history of grazing by cattle. The berries of this species can be eaten raw or used in cooking, however the taste is somewhat insipid. The var. ozarkanum refers to less pubescent plants that appear unworthy of formal taxonomic recognition.