Redcurrant
Cultivated redcurrant
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Saxifragales Family: Grossulariaceae Genus: Ribes Species: R. rubrum
Binomial name
Ribes rubrum L.

The Redcurrant (Ribes rubrum) is a member of the genus Ribes in the gooseberry family Grossulariaceae, native to parts of western Europe (France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and northern Italy). It is a deciduous shrub normally growing to 1-1.5 m tall, occasionally 2 m, with five-lobed leaves arranged spirally on the stems. The flowers are inconspicuous yellow-green, in pendulous 4-8 cm racemes, maturing into bright red translucent edible berries about 8-12 mm diameter, with 3-10 berries on each raceme. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 659 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1424 × 1296 pixel, file size: 556 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Redcurrant bush. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta—liverworts Anthocerotophyta—hornworts Bryophyta—mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta—rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta—zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta—clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta—trimerophytes Pteridophyta—ferns and horsetails Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta—seed ferns Pinophyta—conifers Cycadophyta—cycads Ginkgophyta—ginkgo Gnetophyta—gnetae Magnoliophyta—flowering plants... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants (also called angiosperms) are the dominant and most familiar group of land plants. ... Magnoliopsida is the botanical name for a class: this name is formed by replacing the termination -aceae in the name Magnoliaceae by the termination -opsida (Art 16 of the ICBN). ... Families See text. ... For the commune of the Ardèche in southern France, see Ribes, France. ... Species Syme whitecurrant L. redcurrant L. blackcurrant L. Eurasian gooseberry North American gooseberry Flowering currant Northern red currant Miccosukee Gooseberry and about 150 others The genus Ribes of flowering plants is the only one placed in the family Grossulariaceae. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal system of naming species. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 23, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Species Syme whitecurrant L. redcurrant L. blackcurrant L. Eurasian gooseberry North American gooseberry Flowering currant Northern red currant Miccosukee Gooseberry and about 150 others The genus Ribes of flowering plants is the only one placed in the family Grossulariaceae. ... Binomial name L. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ribes uva-crispa See Physalis peruviana for the tomato-like fruit commonly known as the Cape gooseberry and kiwifruit for the fruit sometimes known as the Chinese gooseberry. ... For the commune of the Ardèche in southern France, see Ribes, France. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Deciduous means temporary or tending to fall off (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off) and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally. ... A broom shrub in flower A shrub or bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of woody plant, distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and lower height, usually less than 6 m tall. ... “Foliage” redirects here. ... A Phalaenopsis flower Rudbeckia fulgida A flower, (<Old French flo(u)r<Latin florem<flos), also known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms). ... This inflorescence of the terrestrial orchid Spathoglottis plicata is a typical raceme. ... Several types of berries from the market. ... This inflorescence of the terrestrial orchid Spathoglottis plicata is a typical raceme. ...

There are several other very similar species native in Europe, Asia and North America, also with edible fruit, though usually considered to have an inferior flavour. These include Ribes spicatum (northern Europe and northern Asia), R. schlechtendalii (northeast Europe), R. multiflorum (southeast Europe), R. petraeum (southwest Europe) and R. triste (North America; Newfoundland to Alaska and southward in mountains).

Cultivation and uses

Redcurrant Berries

Redcurrant fruit is slighty more sour than its relative the blackcurrant, and is cultivated mainly for jams and cooked dishes, rather than for eating raw. For example, in Scandinavia it is often used in fruit soups and summer puddings, and in Germany it is also used in combination with custard or meringue as a filling for tarts. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3264 × 2448 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3264 × 2448 pixel, file size: 1. ... It is a myth that people either go crazy for the flavor or they totally dislike it. ...

Currant and gooseberry output in 2005

Although blackcurrant is more traditionally associated with medicinal uses, English and German language herbalist sources consider redcurrant berries to have fever-reducing, sweat-inducing, menstrual-flow inducing, mildly laxative, astringent, appetite increasing, blood cleansing, diuretic and digestive properties. Some of these proposed effects are probable, due to the verified high levels of vitamin C, fruit acids, and fiber the berries contain. Tea made from dried redcurrant leaves is said to ease the symptoms of gout and rheumatism, be useful in compresses for poorly healing wounds, and as a gargling solution for mouth infections. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 351 pixelsFull resolution (1425 × 625 pixel, file size: 58 KB, MIME type: image/png)This bubble map shows the global distribution of currant and gooseberry output in 2005 as a percentage of the top producer (Russia - 463,500 tonnes). ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 351 pixelsFull resolution (1425 × 625 pixel, file size: 58 KB, MIME type: image/png)This bubble map shows the global distribution of currant and gooseberry output in 2005 as a percentage of the top producer (Russia - 463,500 tonnes). ... Binomial name L. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ribes uva-crispa See Physalis peruviana for the tomato-like fruit commonly known as the Cape gooseberry and kiwifruit for the fruit sometimes known as the Chinese gooseberry. ...

According to the "Orbis Naturführer" (Orbis Verlag, Munich, 2000), while Ribes rubrum and R. nigrum are native to northern and eastern Europe, large berried cultivars of the redcurrant were first produced in Belgium and northern France in the 1600s. In modern times, numerous cultivars have been selected; some of these have escaped gardens and can be found in the wild across Europe and extending into Asia. This Osteospermum Pink Whirls is a successful cultivar. ...

The whitecurrant is also a cultivar of Ribes rubrum, being merely a less sour and colourless variant of the redcurrant, and not a separate species.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Ribes rubrum