Western black currant has been confused with Hudson Bay 

 currant (R. hudsonia' num) and, in some of the western botanical 

 manuals, its description has been included under the latter name. 

 The flower clusters of Hudson Bay currant are usually 6- to 12- 

 flowered, and the leaves are firm, and hairy on the lower surface ; the 

 flower clusters of western black currant are mostly 25- to 50- 

 flowered and the leaves are thin and essentially hairless. Hudson 

 Bay currant ranges from Alaska, British Columbia, and Montana 

 eastward to Minnesota, Ontario, and Hudson Bay; the range of 

 \yestern black currant is from British Columbia to Oregon (pos- 

 sibly northern California), Nevada, Utah, northern Colorado, and 

 Montana. Western black currant is a mountain species occurring 

 chiefly in the aspen and spruce belts, along streams, and in other 

 moist sites in association with willows, alders, and other shrubs char- 

 acteristic of such locations. This shrub also grows on drier sites, 

 being in evidence on rocky hillsides in the open in association with 

 other shrubs, as well as in aspen and coniferous timber. In the 

 Northwest, western black currant is a common shrub on cut-over 

 lands at elevations from 4,000 to 6,000 feet. The altitudinal range 

 of this species in the Rocky Mountains extends from approximately 

 4,000 to 8,500 feet above sea level. 



For the most part, western black currant occurs as scattered indi- 

 viduals or in small patches, its distribution being local rather than 

 general. However, it is rather widely distributed, and produces 

 considerable forage. This species is not one of the best browse 

 plants, its palatability seldom being better than poor for cattle and 

 fair for sheep. It is also fair browse for deer and elk. It prob- 

 ably is most utilized during the fall. Deer and elk crop the shoots 

 and twigs of this species on winter ranges, when other feed is scarce. 



The berries of this species are utilized by birds and small animals 

 but, because of their peculiar, musky odor, are rarely used by man. 

 This perhaps partly explains w T hy western black currant is sometimes 

 known as dog currant. The species name, petiolare, refers to the 

 characteristic long leafstalks (petioles). 



