Shrubs, usually with lobed, petioled leaves and racemose or subsolitary axillary or lateral flowers, the pedicels bracteolate; calyx tube attached to the ovary, the limb 4—5-lobed, often coloured; petals, 4—5, inserted on the throat of the calyx, small, scale-like, often included; stamens 4—5, inserted with the petals; berry globose or ovoid, pulpy, the calyx persistent on its summit.

Stems prostrate or ascending, 3—4 feet long, very prickly when young, spines slender and weak, generally clustered. Leaves nearly orbicular, thin, smooth or hairy along the veins beneath, deeply 5—7 lobed, 1—2 inches broad, the lobes acutish, incised-dentate. Flowers in racemes of 5—9; calyx rotate, ⅙ of an inch broad, spreading, green or purplish; petals exceeding the calyx; ovary glandular-hispid; berry black.

A very abundant gooseberry throughout the region in cool damp woods and bogs at the lower elevations; flowering in June.

Stems erect, 3—4 feet high, with numerous stout bristles, especially on the young wood; axillary spines 1—3 together, rather stout and spreading. Leaves slender-petioled, more or less finely hairy, at least when young, ½—1 inch wide, broadly ovate or orbicular, 3—5-lobed, the lobes incised or coarsely toothed. Flowers 2—3, ¼—½ an inch long on very short pedicels; calyx tube cylindric, greenish-white or pinkish; petals white; berries small, purple or blue and very sour.

Frequent throughout the Rockies on lake shores and in thickets at the lower altitudes; flowering in June.

Spines generally solitary, light-coloured, ¼—½ of an inch long; prickles commonly wanting. Leaves petioled, roundish, subcordate and 5-lobed, hairy or nearly smooth, the lobes deeply toothed or crenate. Flowers greenish-purple or white, little more than ¼ of an inch long; berry half an inch in diameter, smooth, reddish-purple and sweet when ripe.

Throughout the Rockies at the lower elevations, in open ground and on stony hillsides; flowering in June; fruit ripening in July.

Stems ascending, crowded, 2—5 feet high, without spines. Leaves triangular, 2—3 inches in diameter, cordate at the base, deeply 5-lobed, the acute lobes doubly serrate, smooth above, often resinous-dotted beneath, petiole as long as or longer than the blade. Flowers ⅓ of an inch broad in a loose raceme, bracts linear, about ¹/₁₆ of an inch long, much shorter than the slender, glandular pedicels; calyx rotate with broad spatulate lobes; petals red, narrowly spatulate, shorter than the calyx lobes; berries red.

A rather showy plant with a pungent, skunk-like odour when bruised, growing on wet, shaded rocks and in springy places throughout the region, at the lower altitudes; flowering in June.