wild gooseberry Grossulariaceae Ribes hirtellum

Leaf:Alternate, simple, deciduous, palmately lobed (3 to 5 lobes), round in outline, 1 to 1 1/2 inch, serrated; dark green above and below but not glandular or hairy; petioles bearing soft hairs.
Flower:Species is monoecious; small and cup-shaped; petals small and green-white; occur in clusters of 1 to 3 flowers.
Fruit:Dark purple, 1/3 inch round berries; lacking hairs or glands; maturing in late summer; with a pleasant and mildly acidic flavor.
Twig:Young twigs may be armed at nodes with single or 2-parted spines; prickles often occur between the nodes.
Bark:Gray-brown to reddish-brown.
Form:Spiny, spindly deciduous shrub 3-4’ tall; may grow alone or in thickets.

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