View source for Ribes malvaceum

{{Taxobox | color = lightgreen
| name = Chaparral Currant
| image = Ribes malvaceum flowers 2004-02-23.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Saxifragales]]
| familia = [[Grossulariaceae]]
| genus = ''Ribes''
| species = '''''R. malvaceum''''' 
| binomial = Ribes malvaceum
| binomial_authority = [[James Edward Smith|Sm.]]
}}

'''''Ribes malvaceum''''', called "chaparral currant", is a member of the [[Grossulariaceae]] (gooseberry family). It is endemic  to [[California]].  It occurs below 1500 m in [[chaparral]], [[foothill oak woodland]], and [[closed-cone pine forest]] ranging from [[Baja California]] to the [[San Francisco Bay]] area and inner Northern Coastal Ranges.

Less than 2 meters tall, this perennial shrub lacks the characteristic nodal spines which are demonstrated on the stems of many other members in the genus ''[[Ribes]]''.  The leaf blades (20-50 mm) are densely hairy, glandular, and double toothed.  

Infloresences are 10-25 flowered and open.  The [[hypanthium]] (5-8 mm) is pink and about twice as long as it is wide.  The sepals are pink-purple in color and are 4-6 mm.  Petals are 2-3 mm and can range in color from pink-white.  The flower also contains two fused [[styles]] which are fused to the tip and have a hairy base.  A purple glaucous fruit (6-7 mm) is produced which is glandular and is covered by white hairs. 

There are two varieties of ''R. malvaceum'':
*var. ''malvaceum''
*var. ''viridifolium''