Skunk currant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Skunk currant |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Ribes
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| Species: |
glandulosum
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Ribes glandulosum, the skunk currant, is a North American species of flowering plant in the currant family. It is widespread in Canada (all 10 provinces and all 3 territories) and is also found in parts of the United States (Alaska, the Great Lakes region, the Appalachian Mountains, and the Northeast).
Ribes glandulosum is a deciduous shrub growing to 0.5 m (2 ft) tall and wide. It has palmately lobed leaves with 5 or 7 deeply cut segments. Flowers are in elongated clusters of 6–15 pink flowers. Fruits are red and egg-shaped, sometimes palatable but sometimes not.
Conservation status in the United States
It is listed as endangered in Connecticut and New Jersey, and presumed extirpated in Ohio.
As a noxious weed
It is considered a noxious weed in Michigan, and planting it is prohibited in certain parts of the state.
Ethnobotany
The Ojibwa people take a compound decoction of the root for back pain and for "female weakness". The Woods Cree use a decoction of the stem, either by itself or mixed with wild red raspberry, to prevent clotting after birth, eat the berries as food, and use the stem to make a bitter tea. The Algonquin people use the berries as food.
