General: Desert Gooseberry (Ribes velutinum) is an open, lanky shrub with stiff spines in the leaf axils that are then hidden behind round leaves with scalloped edges. The flowers are white to yellow with five spreading sepals (that look like petals) that surround a tube formed of five petals. From within the petal-tube, the anthers do not extend much past the petals. The fruit has conspicuous hairs and turns purple when ripe.

Desert Gooseberry is an uncommon component of montane vegetation communities in the Upper Sonoran (Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) and somewhat higher life zones. In these habitats, the more common gooseberry is Wax Current, which has no spines.

Around Las Vegas, look for Desert Gooseberry at middle elevations in our desert mountains in places such as Mt. Charleston, the Sheep Range, and Gold Butte National Monument.

Family: Gooseberry (Grossulariaceae)