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 tularense Ribes tularense Ribes tularense is a rare species of currant known as the Sequoia gooseberry or Tulare gooseberry. It is endemic to southern California, at elevations between . "Ribes tularense" is known from only about ten populations in the forests of the High Sierra Nevada. These are located in Tulare County except for one population found less than 100 meters east of the county line near Mount Whitney in Inyo County. The species is closely related to "Ribes binominatum". "Ribes tularense" is a low, spiny shrub rarely more than 50 cm (20 inches) tall, often trailing. It has hairy branches