Plants 0.5-1 m (in shade sometimes semiscandent and to 7 m). Stems decumbent, vining, or spreading, finely crisped-puberulent, sparsely subsessile-glandular; spines at nodes absent; prickles on internodes absent. Leaves: petiole (1.5-)2.5-5.5(-8) cm, pubescent, stipitate-glandular; blade orbiculate, 5-7-lobed, cleft nearly 1/2 to midrib, (2.5-)4-12 cm, base deeply cordate, surfaces ± crisped-puberulent at least on veins, usually with some sessile, crystalline glands and more numerous, very short-stipitate, noncrystalline glands abaxially, glabrous adaxially, lobes ovate-triangular, margins shallowly to coarsely 2 times crenate-serrate, apex acute to obtuse. Inflorescences erect or ascending, 6-8-flowered racemes, (2-)3-6(-8) cm, axis stipitate-glandular, flowers evenly spaced. Pedicels jointed, (2.2-)3.2-12 mm, pubescent, red stipitate-glandular; bracts linear to lanceolate-subulate, 0.9-2.8(-3.6) mm, copiously crisped-puberulent, moderately reddish stipitate-glandular. Flowers: hypanthium greenish white with pinkish tinge to red or purple, shallowly bowl-shaped, 0.6-1 mm, pubescent and stipitate-glandular abaxially, glabrous adaxially; sepals not overlapping, spreading, tips usually slightly recurved, greenish white to deep red or purplish, deltate-ovate to oblong-ovate, 2.4-4 mm; petals widely separated, erect, pinkish to reddish or purplish, greenish at apex, reniform or crescent-shaped, not conspicuously revolute or inrolled, 0.9-1.6 mm; nectary disc prominent, cream, reddish, or brownish, flat, 5-lobed, covering ovary; stamens nearly as long as to slightly longer than petals; filaments linear, 1-1.7 mm, glabrous; anthers cream, oval, 0.5-0.7 mm, apex blunt; ovary finely puberulent, prominently reddish stipitate-glandular, (glandular hairs to 0.5 mm); styles connate 1/3-2/3 their lengths, 1.4-1.8 mm, glabrous. Berries palatable, purplish black, ovoid, (4-)5-10(-14) mm, pubescent, reddish purple stipitate-glandular.

Flowering Mar-Aug. Moist woods, stream banks, forest edges, clearings, avalanche tracks; 0-2600 m; Alta., B.C., Yukon; Alaska, Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., N.Mex., Oreg., Utah, Wash.; Asia (Siberia).

Ribes laxiflorum flowers have stamens with reddish filaments.