Ribes

Ribes
Ribes divaricatum (spreading gooseberry)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Grossulariaceae
DC.
Genus: Ribes
L.
Type species
Ribes rubrum
L.
Diversity
About 200 species
Distribution of Ribes species
Synonyms
  • Grossularia Miller
  • Ribesium Medikus

Ribes (/ˈraɪbiːz/ RY-beez) is a genus of approximately 200 known species of flowering plants, predominantly native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Ribes is the sole genus in the plant family Grossulariaceae. The genus includes species commonly referred to as redcurrants, blackcurrants, whitecurrants, and gooseberries. Several species are cultivated both for their edible fruit and as ornamental plants in horticulture. Ribes are the main alternate host for white pine blister rust, a fungal pathogen impacting five-needle pines.

Description

Ribes species are medium shrub-like plants with marked diversity in flowers and fruit. They have either palmately lobed or compound leaves, and some have thorns. Ribes flowers are bisexual and are borne on racemes. Flower color can range from green to yellow or red depending on the species. The sepals of the flowers are larger than the petals, and fuse into a tube of saucer shape. The ovary is inferior, maturing into a berry with many seeds.

Taxonomy

Ribes is the single genus in the Saxifragales family Grossulariaceae. Although once included in the broader circumscription of Saxifragaceae sensu lato, it is now positioned as a sister group 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 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, 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 Senters & Soltis (2003) 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. (Gooseberries) 4 sections
    • Section Grossularia (Mill.) Nutt.
    • Section Robsonia Berland.
    • Section Hesperia A.Berger
    • 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 group, with two main lineages, sect. Grossularia and another clade 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

Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum)
Redcurrant (Ribes rubrum)
Ribes speciosum (fuchsia-flowered gooseberry)

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

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

The majority of Ribes species are insect pollinated. Exceptions include R. sanguineum, R. malvaceum, and R. speciosum, which are humming-bird pollinated. After the flowers are pollinated and the fruits have matured, Ribes seeds are dispersed by birds and mammals, including elk, deer, cattle, and grizzly bears.

Currants are used as a food source by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species. Buff-tip moth caterpillars have shown strong preferences for Ribes species as host plants, especially R. alpinum and R. uva-crispa. The larvae of the moth species Archips argyrospilus, Papaiema nebris, Itame ribearia, and Nematocampa limbata are also associated with Ribes herbivory. Specifically winter moths and currant clearwing moths are known pests of currant species within agricultural settings.

Cultivation

The genus Ribes includes the edible currants: blackcurrant, redcurrant, and white currant, as well as the European gooseberry, Ribes uva-crispa, 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 of the grape Vitis vinifera. Ribes gives its name to the popular blackcurrant cordial Ribena.[citation needed]

The genus also includes the group of ornamental plants collectively known as the flowering currants, for instance, R. sanguineum.[citation needed]

Production of currants
Currant yield

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.[citation needed]

Restrictions on cultivation of Ribes in the United States:
StateRestrictions
ConnecticutNo longer restricted
DelawareR. aureum and R. nigrum prohibited entirely. Shipment, transport, or propagation of all other Ribes species require a permit.
MainePlanting or possession of R. nigrum prohibited statewide. All other Ribes species prohibited in certain counties and towns.
MarylandNo restrictions found; state agricultural extension service provides advice on currant and gooseberry culture.
MassachusettsTransport of R. nigrum prohibited throughout the Commonwealth. Other species of Ribes require a permit, with the caveat that permits shall not issue for a list of municipalities that cover most of the Commonwealth.
MichiganR. nigrum prohibited statewide. Other species of Ribes and Grossularia require a permit in the blister rust control area, which includes the entirety of the Upper Peninsula and the northern and western portions of the Lower Peninsula.
New HampshireAll Ribes species prohibited without a permit. Permits are sometimes issued for rust-resistant cultivars.
New JerseyPossession or transport of R. nigrum requires a permit statewide. Possession or movement of all Ribes and Grossularia species is prohibited in certain municipalities in Sussex, Passaic and Morris Counties. Grossularia and Ribes other than R. nigrum otherwise requires only compliance with general regulations on movement of nursery stock.
New YorkAll Ribes species are prohibited in nine counties of the Adirondack Mountains, and in many townships in the Adirondacks and Catskills. R. nigrum is prohibited throughout the state, except that cultivars known to be immune to Cronartium ribicola, the white pine blister rust, may be grown wherever other Ribes species are permitted.
North CarolinaAll Ribes species prohibited. The North Carolina Forest Service maintains an active eradication program for Ribes in the western part of the state.
OhioPossession, transport, planting, propagation, sale or offering for sale of R. nigrum is prohibited. Cultivars known to be immune to Cronartium ribicola, the white pine blister rust, are exempt. The law does not prohibit other Ribes species.
PennsylvaniaPennState Extension states: "In 1933, Pennsylvania passed a law that limited growing gooseberries and currants in certain areas; however, the law is not enforced. Therefore, all Ribes can be grown in the state."
Rhode IslandR. nigrum, R. aureum, and R. odoratum are prohibited throughout the state. Other Ribes species require permits to transport or plant and are forbidden in some municipalities, or within 900 feet of a stand of five-leaved pines one acre or more in extent or a nursery cultivating five-leaved pines.
VermontNew England Small Fruit Management Guide asserts that there are "No regulations at present."
VirginiaR. nigrum plants may not be moved to any destination in Virginia.
West VirginiaR. nigrum plants may not be moved to any destination in West Virginia. Other Ribes species are prohibited in 23 counties.

White pine blister rust

Ribes species are a telial stage host for the white pine blister rust fungus Cronartium ribicola. Infected Ribes individuals display yellow spotting on their leaves that appear orange and raised on the abaxial leaf surface. Severely infected plants may even lose foliage. Infection occurs when wind-borne C. ribicola spores from Ribes individuals make contact with the needles of a five-needled pine. The fungus eventually spreads to the entirety of the tree. Pine infection usually occurs in late summer or early fall, as the moderate temperatures and high relative humidity create optimal conditions for C. ribicola spore germination.

Most species of wild and cultivated Ribes species have demonstrated R-gene and multigenetic resistance to white pine blister rust, which are the two dominant forms of genetic disease resistance in plants. The species R. nigrum and R. hudsonianum var. petiolare are particularly vulnerable to white pine blister rust infection.

Uses

A number of species produce edible berries, some of which are categorized as currants and gooseberries.

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

  1. ↑ APG IV 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Ribes L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  3. ↑ Morin 2008.
  4. ↑ Lu, Lingdi; Alexander, Crinan. "Ribes". Flora of China. Vol. 8 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri and Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  5. ↑ "ribes". Oxford English Dictionary (online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  6. 1 2 "White Pine Blister Rust". apps.fs.usda.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Taylor, Ronald J. (1994) [1992]. Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary (rev. ed.). Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Pub. Co. p. 42. ISBN 0-87842-280-3. OCLC 25708726.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Schultheis & Donoghue 2004.
  9. 1 2 Pfister, Robert D.; Sloan, John P. (2008). "Ribes L.: currant, gooseberry". In: Bonner, Franklin T.; Karrfalt, Robert P., Eds. The Woody Plant Seed Manual. Agric. Handbook No. 727. Washington, DC. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. P. 961-968. 727: 961–968.
  10. ↑ Hummer, K. E.; Dale, A. (2010). "Horticulture of Ribes". Forest Pathology. 40 (3–4): 251–263. Bibcode:2010FoPat..40..251H. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0329.2010.00657.x. ISSN 1437-4781.
  11. 1 2 3 Messinger 1995.
  12. 1 2 Janczewski 1907.
  13. 1 2 Sinnott 1985.
  14. ↑ Berger 1924.
  15. ↑ Weigend et al 2002.
  16. ↑ Weigend 2007.
  17. ↑ Messinger et al 1999.
  18. ↑ Senters & Soltis 2003.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Zambino, P. J. (2010). "Biology and pathology of Ribes and their implications for management of white pine blister rust". Forest Pathology. 40 (3–4): 264–291. Bibcode:2010FoPat..40..264Z. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0329.2010.00658.x. ISSN 1437-4781.
  20. ↑ Morimoto, Juliano; Pietras, Zuzanna (2020). "Strong foraging preferences for Ribes alpinum (Saxifragales: Grossulariaceae) in the polyphagous caterpillars of Buff-tip moth Phalera bucephala (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae)". Ecology and Evolution. 10 (24): 13583–13592. Bibcode:2020EcoEv..1013583M. doi:10.1002/ece3.6981. ISSN 2045-7758. PMC 7771136. PMID 33391664.
  21. ↑ Allyson, Suzanne (1980). "LAST-INSTAR LARVA OF THE GOOSEBERRY FRUITWORM, ZOPHODIA CONVOLUTELLA (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE: PHYCITINAE)". The Canadian Entomologist. 112 (1): 43–45. doi:10.4039/Ent11243-1. ISSN 1918-3240.
  22. ↑ Mitchell, Carolyn; Brennan, Rex M.; Cross, Jerry V.; Johnson, Scott N. (2011). "Arthropod pests of currant and gooseberry crops in the U.K.: their biology, management and future prospects". Agricultural and Forest Entomology. 13 (3): 221–237. Bibcode:2011AgFE...13..221M. doi:10.1111/j.1461-9563.2010.00513.x. ISSN 1461-9555.
  23. ↑ "Currant (Ribes)". The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. State of Connecticut. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  24. ↑ "803 Rules and Regulations for the Control and Suppression of the White Pine Blister Rust". Delaware General Assembly: Delaware Regulations. State of Delaware. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  25. ↑ "Quarantine Information". Maine Forest Service. State of Maine. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  26. ↑ "Growing Small Fruits". University of Maryland Extension. State of Maryland. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  27. ↑ "330 CMR 9.00: Plant quarantines". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  28. ↑ "286.104 Cultivated black currant declared public nuisance; destruction". Michigan Legislature: Michigan Compiled Laws. State of Michigan. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  29. ↑ "White Pine Blister Rust Resistant Currant and Gooseberry Varieties" (PDF). Michigan Department of Agriculture. State of Michigan. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  30. ↑ "227-K:6 White Pine Blister Rust Control Areas". State of New Hampshire. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  31. ↑ "White Pine Blister Rust in NH | NH Division of Forests and Lands". www.nh.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  32. ↑ "Department of Agriculture : Plant Pest Survey". State of New Jersey. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  33. ↑ "Crop Profile: Currants in New York". Cornell Cooperative Extension. Archived from the original on June 29, 2001. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  34. ↑ "02 NCAC 48A .0401 Currant and Gooseberry Plants". State of North Carolina. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  35. ↑ "White Pine Blister Rust". Plant Industry - Plant Protection Section. North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  36. ↑ Ellis, Michael A.; Horst, Leona. "White Pine Blister Rust on Currants and Gooseberries". Ohioline. Ohio State University Extension. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  37. ↑ "Home Fruit Plantings: Gooseberries and Currants". PennState Extension. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  38. ↑ "250-RICR-40-10-2 Rules and Regulations Governing the Suppression of White Pine Blister Rust" (PDF). Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  39. ↑ "Currants and Gooseberries". NE Small Fruit Management Guide. Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  40. ↑ "2VAC5-450-40. European black currant plants". Commonwealth of Virginia. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  41. ↑ "West Virginia White Pine Blister Rust Quarantine" (PDF). West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  42. 1 2 3 4 "White pine blister rust". extension.umn.edu. Retrieved 2026-02-08.
  43. ↑ Zambino, P. J.; McDonald, G. I. (2003, August). Resistance to white pine blister rust in North American five-needle pines and Ribes and its implications. In 51st Western International Forest Disease Work Conference (pp. 18-22).
  44. ↑ Burnes, Todd A.; Blanchette, Robert A.; Smith, Jason A.; Luby, James J. (2008). "Black Currant Clonal Identity and White Pine Blister Rust Resistance". HortScience. 43 (1): 200–202. doi:10.21273/HORTSCI.43.1.200. ISSN 0018-5345.
  45. ↑ Tilford, Gregory L. (1997). Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West. Missoula: Mountain Press Publishing. ISBN 978-0-87842-359-0.
  46. ↑ Kalm, Pehr (1772). Travels into North America: containing its natural history, and a circumstantial account of its plantations and agriculture in general, with the civil, ecclesiastical and commercial state of the country, the manners of the inhabitants, and several curious and important remarks on various subjects. Translated by Johann Reinhold Forster. London: T. Lowndes. p. 67. ISBN 9780665515002. OCLC 1083889360. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)

Bibliography

Books and theses

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Websites

Media related to Ribes at Wikimedia Commons