Ribes petraeum Wulfen
R. petraeum var. atlanticum Maire
Eng.: Rock red currant. Spa.: Grosellero, silindra. Fre.: Groseillier des pierriers.
Shrub 1-3 m in height, unarmed, monoecious. Stems ± straight, sometimes somewhat tortuous; young branches pale. Leaves (3)5-14 cm in width, usually palmatifid, with (3)5 triangular lobes or ovate-triangular, acute and serrated, the central lobe widened at the base; cordate or truncate at the base, with long glanduliferous scattered hairs, and eglanduliferous hairs generally shorter and abundant on the underside vernation, sometimes glabrescent on the upper side. Racemes (2.5)4-11(12) cm long, multiflorous, horizontal or pendulous, with a densely hairy axis (rarely glabrescent), provided with curly hairs and eglanduliferous and some glanduliferous shorter hairs (rarely longer) and scattered; bracts 1-2 mm in length, 1/2 the length of the pedicels or as long as them (rarely longer), ciliate. Flowers 4-7 mm; pedicels shorter, with similar indumentum to the axis. Sepals 2-2.5 mm, upright, curved in the upper half, obovate or spatulate, obtuse, ciliate, pink or reddish, which may become yellow upon drying. Petals 1/2 the length of the sepals, broadly spatulate. Stamens slightly longer than the petals. Berry 7-8 mm, globose, glabrous, red in colour.
Flowering:
May to June.
Fruiting:
No data for this region
Habitat:
Shady forests, fissures in rocks of rainy limestone mountains.
Distribution:
It is a Eurasian species that in North Africa grows only in Algeria, in the central Tellian Atlas (Djurdjura Massif and Jebel Tababort, 1,400-2,000 m).
Conservation status:
Currently, it is not assessed at a global level in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In North Africa it is a very rare species, so if it were to be evaluated at a national and/or regional level it would possibly be placed in a threat category. In Algeria it is included in the List of protected non cultivated flora (Executive Decree 12-03 on 4-Jan-2012).