Ribes uva-crispa L.

Deciduous, armed, non-aromatic shrub usually 0.5–1.5–(2.5) m high; nodes furnished with (1)–3, stiff, straight spines; branches and shoots spreading to erect, glabrous except when young. Lvs plicately folded in bud, with petioles to 5 cm long, not clasping at base; lamina ± broadly deltoid to subreniform, (1.5)–2–6 × 2–7 cm, usually smaller on flowering stems (where the lvs are on short spurs), palmately-lobed, usually hairy beneath, sometimes glabrate, flat and slightly shining above; base truncate to cordate; lobes shallow to deep, 3–5, broadly ovate, oblong-ovate or obovate, with secondary lobes, deeply toothed. Fls solitary or in clusters of 2–4, not fragrant. Hypanthium 3–4 mm diam., ± globose, pale greenish, glandular. Sepals 3–6 mm long, oblong or elliptic-oblong, green, often with red flush or red margin, ± hairy outside, reflexed at anthesis. Petals 1.5–2 mm long, suborbicular or broadly obovate, white. Filaments 2–3 mm long. Fr. 10–25 mm diam. (to 30 mm in cultivation), globose to broadly or oblong-ellipsoid, green, yellow or sometimes dark red, translucent, lacking bloom, hispid and sometimes with soft hairs, or glabrous; flesh becoming sweet.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Aug.–Nov.; Fruiting: Nov.–Feb.