Plants 0.2-2 m. Stems spreading or arching to erect, puberulent, sparsely to copiously stipitate-glandular; spines at nodes absent; prickles on internodes absent. Leaves: petiole (0.3-) 0.6-1.2(-2.8) cm, glabrous or finely to copiously pubescent; blade almost reniform to broadly cuneate-flabellate, 3-5(-7)-lobed, shallowly cleft, (0.5-) 1-2(-4) cm, base cordate to truncate, surfaces glabrous or copiously pubescent, sparsely stipitate-glandular to downy to conspicuously stipitate-glandular and sessile-glandular, particularly noticeable on margins, lobes rounded, margins coarsely crenate-dentate, apex obtuse. Inflorescences pendent, solitary flowers or 2-8(-9)-flowered racemes, 1-3 cm, axis finely pubescent, ± sticky with short-stalked to subsessile glands, flowers tightly clustered at end of peduncle. Pedicels jointed, (0.4-) 1-2.2(-3.4) mm, puberulent; bracts flabellate or ovate to obovate, 3-7(-8.8) mm, pubescent, stipitate-glandular. Flowers: hypanthium white to greenish white with pink tinge, or pinkish white, narrowly tubular, tube widest at base and near throat, 5-9(-9.4) mm, densely hairy and scattered stipitate-glandular abaxially, glabrous adaxially; sepals not overlapping, spreading-recurved, greenish white to white or faintly to strongly pinkish tinged, deltate-ovate, 1-3.2 mm; petals connivent, erect, white to pink, orbiculate or flabellate, not conspicuously revolute or inrolled, 1-2.1 mm; nectary disc not prominent; stamens shorter than petals, (inserted below petals and completely included in hypanthium tube); filaments linear, 0.5-1.6 mm, glabrous; anthers pale cream-yellow to yellow, oval, 0.6-1.2 mm, apex with small, cup-shaped gland; ovary glabrous or hairy or sparsely to densely pubescent; styles connate nearly to stigmas, 7.5-11.5 mm, proximally hairy or glabrous. Berries tasteless, dull to bright red or orange-red, ovoid, 5-12 mm, sparsely glandular to glandular. 2n = 16. Ribes cereum has a notably spicy odor. The bright green style, which becomes brown with age, is striking.

Plant: Shrub generally < 2 m; stem generally erect; nodal spines 0-9; internodal bristles generally 0; twigs generally hairy, generally glandular Leaves: simple, alternate, generally clustered on short, lateral branchlets, petioled, generally deciduous; odor spicy; blade 10-40 mm, round, shallowly lobed, finely toothed, upper surface glossy INFLORESCENCE: raceme, axillary, generally pendent, 3-7-flowered; pedicel generally not jointed to ovary, generally hairy or glandular; bract generally green Flowers: bisexual, radial; hypanthium 6-8 mm, > 2 X longer than wide; sepals 1-2 mm, white to pink; petals < 1 mm, white to pink; stamens inserted below level of petals, alternate petals, anthers free, tips with cup-like depression; ovary inferior, chamber 1, ovules many, styles fused ± to tip Fruit: berry; 10-12 mm, red, glabrous to sparsely glandular Misc: Dry montane to alpine slopes, among rocks, forest edges; 1500-4000 m.