Mescalero Currant

Ribes mescalerium Coville, Proc. Biol. Soc
Wash. 13 : 196. 1900.
Ribes inebrians m-escalerium Jancz. M^m. Soc. Geneve 35 : 336. 1907.
An erect, unarmed, much-branched shrub, 1-2 m. high, the young twigs glandularhairy. Iveaves renif orm-orbicular in outline, 1.5-3.5 cm. wide, mostly somewhat wider than long, broadly cuneate to cordate at the base, 3-5-lobed, glandular-pubescent and usually with some simple hairs on both surfaces, the lobes obtuse, crenate-dentate, the petioles as long as the blades or shorter, pubescent and often glandular ; racemes pendulous, about as long as the leaves, closely 2-4-flowered, pubescent and glandular ; bracts obovate, dentate toward the obtuse apex, 3-7 mm. long, much longer than the pedicels ; hypanthium 5-6 mm. long, about 3 mm. thick, nearly cylindric, glandular-pubescent, greenishwhite, about twice as long as the ovate-oblong sepals; petals rounded, white, 2 mm. long; style glabrous ; berryglobose, sparingly glandular-pubescent, black, without bloom, 10 mm. in diameter or less.
Type locality : Fresnal, Otero County, New Mexico.
Distribution : Sacramento and Guadalupe mountains of southeastern New Mexico and western Texas.

Ribes mescalerium, called the Mescalero currant, is a shrub native to southeastern New Mexico, western Texas, and the Mexican State of Chihuahua. It grows in open areas in the mountains at elevation of 2,100–3,500 m (6,900–11,500 ft).

Ribes mescalerium reaches a height of up to 2 m (6.6 ft). Leaves are palmately lobed. Flowers are borne on a pendulent (hanging) raceme of 6-10 white flowers. Fruits are round, black up to 8 mm (0.31 in) across, juicy and good-tasting.