English

gooseberry

Scientific Name

Ribes inerme probably other Ribes spp

Arapaho

Translation of the Arapaho

‘sharp berries’

Gooseberries and the Arapaho

Food: fruit, dried food, winter food. These are eaten fresh and also dried and pounded.

Special Note on Ribes lacustre:

hiwoxuuyeino’ = ‘elk roses’

Food: fruit. Oliver Toll identifies this plant as “mountain rose” and says that the berries were eaten. The Cheyenne also had a plant named “elk berry," which was Ribes lacustre. I have not had the opportunity to confirm this identity in the field, but Ribes lacustre stems are extremely thorny, like the rose, the plant has pink, rose-like flowers, and it grows in the montane zone, so Toll’s use of the term “mountain rose” very likely applies to this species, with the Cheyenne correspondance giving added weight.

Ribes inerme

Ribes lacustre