Ribes name to the popular blackcurrant cordial Ribena. The genus also includes the group of ornamental plants collectively known as the flowering currants, for instance "R. sanguineum". There are restrictions on growing some "Ribes" species in some U.S. states, as they are the main alternate host for white pine blister rust. Blackfoot Indians used blackcurrant root "(Ribes hudsonianum)" for the treatment of kidney diseases and menstrual and menopausal problems. Cree Indians used the fruit of "Ribes glandulosum" as a fertility enhancer to assist women in becoming pregnant. Currants are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species. Ribes
Ribes victoris Ribes victoris Ribes victoris is an uncommon North American species of currant known by the common name Victor's gooseberry. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the chaparral and woods of canyons in the San Francisco Bay Area and counties to the north, as far as Humboldt County. "Ribes victoris"is an erect shrub growing up to two meters (80 inches) in height, its stem coated in sticky glandular hairs and some bristles, with spines occurring at nodes. The hairy, glandular leaves are divided into a few lobes which are lined with teeth. The inflorescence is made up of