''Ribes'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of about 200 known species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants t ...

s, most of them native to the

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

regions of the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

. The various species are known as currants or gooseberries, and some are cultivated for their edible

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

or as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

s. ''Ribes'' is the only genus in the family Grossulariaceae.

Description

''Ribes'' species are medium shrublike plants with marked diversity in strikingly diverse flowers and fruit. They have either palmately lobed or compound leaves, and some have thorns. The

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

s of the flowers are larger than the petals, and fuse into a tube or saucer shape. The

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

is inferior, maturing into a berry with many seeds.

Taxonomy

''Ribes'' is the single genus in the Saxifragales

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Grossulariaceae. Although once included in the broader circumscription of

Saxifragaceae Saxifragaceae is a family of herbaceous perennial flowering plants, within the core eudicot order Saxifragales. The taxonomy of the family has been greatly revised and the scope much reduced in the era of molecular phylogenetic analysis. The fa ...

'' sensu lato'', it is now positioned as a

sister group In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and ...

to Saxifragaceae ''sensu stricto''.

Subdivision

First treated on a worldwide basis in 1907, the infrageneric classification has undergone many revisions, and even in the era of

molecular phylogenetics Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

there has been contradictory evidence. Although sometimes treated as two separate genera, ''Ribes'' and ''Grossularia'' (Berger 1924), the consensus has been to consider it as a single genus, divided into a number of

subgenera In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between ...

, the main ones of which are subgenus ''Ribes'' (currants) and subgenus ''Grossularia'' (gooseberries), further subdivided into sections. Janczewski (1907) considered six subgenera and eleven sections. Berger's twelve subgenera based on two distinct genera (see Table 1) have subsequently been demoted to sections. Weigend (2007) elevated a number of sections to produce a taxonomy of seven subgenera; ''Ribes'' (sections ''Ribes'', ''Heretiera'', ''Berisia'') ''Coreosma'', ''Calobotrya'' (sections ''Calobotrya'', ''Cerophyllum''), ''Symphocalyx'', ''Grossularioides'', ''Grossularia'', ''Parilla''. Taxonomy, according to Berger, modified by Sinnott (1985): * Subgenus ''Ribes'' L. (currants) 8 sections ** Section ''Berisia'' Spach (alpine currants) ** Section ''Calobotrya'' (Spach) Jancz. (ornamental currants) ** Section ''Coreosma'' (Spach) Jancz. (black currants) ** Section ''Grossularioides'' ( Jancz.) Rehd. (spiny or Gooseberry-stemmed currants) ** Section ''Heritiera'' Jancz. (dwarf or skunk currants) ** Section ''Parilla'' Jancz. (Andine or South American currants) ** Section ''Ribes'' L. (red currants) ** Section ''Symphocalyx'' Berland. (golden currants) * Subgenus ''Grossularia'' ( Mill.)

Pers. Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (1 February 1761 – 16 November 1836) was a German mycologist who made additions to Linnaeus' mushroom taxonomy. Early life Persoon was born in South Africa at the Cape of Good Hope, the third child of an immig ...

(Gooseberries) 4 sections ** Section ''Grossularia'' (Mill.)

Nutt. Thomas Nuttall (5 January 1786 – 10 September 1859) was an English botanist and zoologist who lived and worked in America from 1808 until 1841. Nuttall was born in the village of Long Preston, near Settle in the West Riding of Yorkshire and ...

** Section ''Robsonia'' Berland. ** Section ''Hesperia''

A.Berger Alwin Berger (28 August 1871 – 20 April 1931) was a German botanist best known for his contribution to the nomenclature of succulent plants, particularly agaves and cacti. Born in Germany he worked at the botanical gardens in Dresden and ...

** Section ''Lobbia'' A. Berger Some authors continued to treat ''Hesperia'' and ''Lobbia'' as subgenera. Early molecular studies suggested that subgenus ''Grossularia'' was actually embedded within subgenus ''Ribes''. Analysis of combined molecular datasets confirms subgenus ''Grossularia'' as a

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gr ...

group, with two main lineages, sect. ''Grossularia'' and another

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English ter ...

consisting of glabrous gooseberies, including ''Hesperia'', ''Lobbia'' and ''Robsonia''. Other monophyletic groups identified were ''Calobotrya'', ''Parilla'', ''Symphocalyx'' and ''Berisia''. However sections ''Ribes'', ''Coreosma'' and ''Heritiera'' were not well supported. Consequently, there is insufficient resolution to justify further taxonomic revision.

Species

Grossulariaceae Fuchsia flowered Gooseberry Ribes speciosum

There are around 200 species of ''Ribes''. Selected species include: *''

Ribes alpinum ''Ribes alpinum'', known as mountain currant or alpine currant, is a small deciduous, dioecious shrub native to central and northern Europe from Finland and Norway south to the Alps and Pyrenees and Caucasus, Georgia; in the south of its range ...

'' *''

Ribes aureum ''Ribes aureum'', known by the common names golden currant, clove currant, pruterberry and buffalo currant, is a species of flowering plant in the genus '' Ribes'' native to North America. Description The plant is a small to medium-sized decidu ...

'' *'' Ribes cereum'' *'' Ribes divaricatum'' *''

Ribes glandulosum ''Ribes glandulosum'', the skunk currant, is a North American species of flowering plant in the currant family. It is widespread in Canada (all 10 provinces and all 3 territories) and is also found in parts of the United States (Alaska, the Grea ...

'' *'' Ribes hirtellum'' *'' Ribes hudsonianum'' *'' Ribes inerme'' *''

Ribes lacustre The shrub ''Ribes lacustre'' is known by the common names prickly currant, black swamp gooseberry, and black gooseberry. It is widely distributed in North America. Description The shrub grows erect to spreading, . Clusters of reddish to maroon f ...

'' *'' Ribes laurifolium'' *''

Ribes lobbii ''Ribes lobbii'' (known commonly by the names gummy gooseberry, fuchsia-flowered gooseberry or pioneer gooseberry) is a shrubby, deciduous, shade-intolerant perennial dicot found on the western coast of North America. It was first described in 1 ...

'' *'' Ribes montigenum'' *''

Ribes nevadense ''Ribes nevadense'' (sometimes spelled ''R. nevadaense'') is a species of currant known by the common names Sierra currant and mountain pink currant. Distribution ''Ribes nevadense'' is native to several of the mountain ranges in California, ...

'' *''

Ribes nigrum The blackcurrant (''Ribes nigrum''), also known as black currant or cassis, is a deciduous shrub in the family Grossulariaceae grown for its edible berries. It is native to temperate parts of central and northern Europe and northern Asia, whe ...

'' *''

Ribes oxyacanthoides ''Ribes oxyacanthoides'' is a species of flowering plant in the gooseberry family known by the common name Canadian gooseberry. Its various subspecies have common names of their own. It is native to North America, where it occurs in Alaska throu ...

'' *''

Ribes rubrum The redcurrant or red currant (''Ribes rubrum'') is a member of the genus '' Ribes'' in the gooseberry family. It is native to western Europe. The species is widely cultivated and has escaped into the wild in many regions. Description ''Ribes ...

'' *''

Ribes sanguineum ''Ribes sanguineum'', the flowering currant, redflower currant, red-flowering currant, or red currant is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Grossulariaceae, native to the western United States and Canada. Description It is ...

'' *''

Ribes speciosum ''Ribes speciosum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Grossulariaceae, which includes the edible currants and gooseberries. It is a spiny deciduous shrub with spring-flowering, elongate red flowers that resemble fuchsias, though it ...

'' *''

Ribes triste ''Ribes triste'', known as the northern redcurrant, swamp redcurrant, or wild redcurrant, is an Asian and North American shrub in the gooseberry family. It is widespread across Canada and the northern United States, as well as in eastern Asia ( ...

'' *''

Ribes uva-crispa ''Ribes uva-crispa'', known as gooseberry or European gooseberry, is a species of flowering shrub in the currant family, Grossulariaceae. It is native to Europe, the Caucasus and northern Africa. Gooseberry bushes produce an edible fruit and ar ...

Distribution and habitat

''Ribes'' is widely distributed through the Northern Hemisphere, and also extending south in the mountainous areas of South America. Species can be found in meadows or near streams.

Ecology

Currants are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described speci ...

species.

Cultivation

The genus ''Ribes'' includes the edible currants:

blackcurrant The blackcurrant (''Ribes nigrum''), also known as black currant or cassis, is a deciduous shrub in the family Grossulariaceae grown for its edible berries. It is native to temperate parts of central and northern Europe and northern Asia, whe ...

redcurrant The redcurrant or red currant (''Ribes rubrum'') is a member of the genus '' Ribes'' in the gooseberry family. It is native to western Europe. The species is widely cultivated and has escaped into the wild in many regions. Description ''Ribe ...

and

white currant The white currant or whitecurrant is a group of cultivars of the red currant (''Ribes rubrum''), a species of flowering plant in the family Grossulariaceae, native to Europe. It is sometimes mislabelled as ''Ribes glandulosum'',Darina Allen ...

, as well as the European gooseberry ''

'' and several hybrid varieties. It should not be confused with the dried currants used in cakes and puddings, which are from the Zante currant, a small-fruited

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

of the grape ''

Vitis vinifera ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, is a species of flowering plant, native to the Mediterranean region, Central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran. There are cur ...

''. ''Ribes'' gives its name to the popular blackcurrant cordial Ribena. The genus also includes the group of ornamental plants collectively known as the flowering currants, for instance '' R. sanguineum''.

United States

There are restrictions on growing some ''Ribes'' species in some U.S. states, as they are the main alternate host for white pine blister rust.

Uses

Blackfoot The Blackfoot Confederacy, ''Niitsitapi'' or ''Siksikaitsitapi'' (ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ, meaning "the people" or "Blackfoot language, Blackfoot-speaking real people"), is a historic collective name for linguistically related groups that make up t ...

people used blackcurrant root ('' Ribes hudsonianum'') for the treatment of kidney diseases and menstrual and menopausal problems. The

Cree The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations. In Canada, over 350,000 people are Cree o ...

used the fruit of ''

'' as a fertility enhancer to assist women in becoming pregnant. European immigrants who settled in North America in the 18th-century typically made wine from both red and white currants.

References

Bibliography

Books and theses

* * * * * * * ** , in *

Articles

* * * * * * * * * *

Websites

* * *
Entry on ''Ribes'' at Mark Rieger's UGa fruit crops site

External links

{{Authority control Ribes Saxifragales genera Edible plants Garden plants of North America Garden plants of Europe Garden plants of Asia Shrubs Drought-tolerant plants Bird food plants Butterfly food plants Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Melliferous flowers