About Ribes alpinum L.
Ribes alpinum L. grows to 2 metres (6+1⁄2 feet) tall and 1.5 m (5 ft) broad, with an upright, dense growth habit. Its bark is smooth and light grey when young, and becomes brownish grey as it ages, eventually flaking off. Its buds are scattered, compressed, and range in color from light green to white. The leaves of Ribes alpinum are palmate; the upper leaf surface is dark green with scattered hairs, while the lower surface is light green. This species is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers grow on separate individual plants. Both flower types are arranged in clusters in leaf axils, with male clusters being longer than female clusters. Individual flowers are small and greenish-yellow. The fruit is edible, red, translucent, and similar in appearance to redcurrant, but has an insipid taste. On average, fruit persists on the plant for 27.4 days, and each fruit contains an average of 8.3 seeds. Fruits are 82.1% water by average composition; their dry weight is made up of 40.6% carbohydrates and 6.1% lipids, which is one of the highest lipid values recorded among European fleshy fruits. The seeds of Ribes alpinum germinate readily.
