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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE CURRANT FAMILY | |||||||||
| The currants are found in many different
habitats in Saskatchewan. Some are northern, forest species, others are
found on the prairies. Some of the currants have edible berries that are
used in jellies. In general, the currants are shrubby plants. The stems may have prickles or spines. The leaves are alternate and are palmately veined and lobed. The flowers are in small clusters or are solitary. The flowers have a hypanthium, which is the fusion of the sepals, petals, and stamens, that surrounds the ovary. The sepals are green, but the petals can be whitish, pinkish, or bright yellow. The fruit is a berry. |
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| GOLDEN CURRANT | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Ribes aureum var. aureum | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Golden currant is a shrub that grows to about 2 m tall. The stems are not prickly or bristly. The leaves are deeply three to five-lobed. The base of the leaf is wedge-shaped or slightly heart-shaped. The margins are usually somewhat square-toothed. The flowers are in small clusters and their stalks are jointed below the ovary. The flowers smell like cloves. The petals are bright yellow, though they loose colour and turn pale yellow if dried. Each flower has five stamens. The fruit is a black, red, or yellow berry. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Golden currant grows on shrubby or wooded ravine slopes. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in southwestern Saskatchewan in the Cypress Upland, Mixed Grassland, and Moist Mixed Grassland ecoregions. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Golden currant is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan and is regionally restricted to the Cypress Hills and surrounding area. Local population sizes vary. No immediate threats are known for this species. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY GOLDEN CURRANT | |||||||||
| * Are petals bright yellow? * Is the fruit a black, red, or yellow berry? * Are the leaves divided into three to five lobes? * Did you find it in southwestern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found golden currant! | |||||||||
