Plants mostly evergreen, 0.5-3 m. Stems spreading, glabrous; spines at nodes 3, 10-20 mm; prickles on internodes dense. Leaves: petiole 0.5-2 cm, stipitate-glandular; blade roundish, usually unlobed, very shallowly cleft, 1-3.5 cm, base cuneate, surfaces glabrous, lobes, if present, with straight sides, margins with few, shallow teeth, apex rounded. Inflorescences pendent, solitary flowers or 2-4-flowered racemes, 2-7 cm (longer than leaves), axis pubescent, stipitate-glandular, flowers evenly spaced. Pedicels not jointed, 8-12 mm, bristly and glandular; bracts broadly ovate, 4-8 mm, pubescent and stipitate-glandular. Flowers: hypanthium red, very broadly conic, wider than long, 2-3 mm, glandular; sepals 4, connivent into tube, erect, red, strap-shaped, 6-10 mm; petals 4, connivent, erect, red, oblong, margins curled inward, 6-10 mm; nectary disc not prominent; stamens 2-4 times as long as petals; filaments linear, 12-40 mm, glabrous; anthers purple or red, oval, slightly sagittate, 2 mm, apex rounded; ovary densely stipitate-glandular; styles connate ± completely, 15-45 mm, glabrous. Berries palatability not known, orangish red, ovoid, 10-12 mm, densely glandular-bristly.

Flowering Nov-Jun. Coastal-sage scrub, chaparral; 0-600 m; Calif.; Mexico (Baja California).

Ribes speciosum occurs in the South Coast Ranges from Monterey County through San Diego into northern Baja California.