Ribes nigrum L.

European black currant (en), Groseillier noir (fr), Cassis (fr), Cassissier (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Saxifragales > Grossulariaceae > Ribes

Characteristics

Plants 1-2 m. Stems erect, glandular and puberulent or nearly glabrous; spines at nodes absent; prickles on internodes absent. Leaves: petiole 1-4 cm, pubescent, sometimes with longer setose hairs basally; blade reniform, 3-5-lobed, cleft nearly to midrib, 5-10 cm, base cordate, surfaces with shiny, resinous glands, lobes broadly ovate, margins irregularly serrate, apex acute. Inflorescences pendent, 4-10-flowered racemes, 3-5 cm, axis pubescent, flowers evenly spaced. Pedicels jointed, 2-10 mm, glabrous or finely pubescent to lanate; bracts ovate, 0.5-2 mm, pubescent. Flowers: hypanthium green, cup-shaped or short-campanulate, 3-4 mm, densely pubescent or tomentose; sepals not overlapping, reflexed, greenish or pinkish abaxially, suffused with purple adaxially, oblong, 5-7 mm; petals nearly connivent, erect, white to reddish, bluntly deltate, not conspicuously revolute or inrolled, 1.5-3 mm; nectary disc prominent, green or purplish, circular, covering ovary; stamens slightly longer than petals; filaments linear, 2-2.5 mm, glabrous with some glands; anthers white, sagittate, 1 mm, apex blunt; ovary pubescent, sessile-glandular; styles connate nearly to stigmas, 3 mm, very finely hairy. Berries sweet-tasting, black, globose, 12-15 mm, glabrous with some sessile glands.
More
Unarmed, deciduous shrub to 1.5-(2.5) m high, with a characteristic strong odour when bruised; branches and shoots ± erect, glabrous except when young. Lvs plicately folded in bud with petioles to c. 8 cm long, slightly clasping at base; lamina broadly deltoid, 6-11 × 8-13 cm, often smaller on upper part of flowering stems, palmately lobed, with 3, ± triangular lobes; lower surface glabrate with fairly numerous prominent yellow glandular scales; upper surface slightly shining, somewhat rugose; margins crenate to coarsely serrate; base cordate. Racemes pendent, 5-15-flowered; fls ± fragrant. Hypanthium 2-4 mm diam., broadly campanulate to orbicular, green or reddish green, glabrous or hairy, with sessile, yellow, glandular scales. Sepals 3-5 mm long, triangular to oblong-elliptic, green or reddish green, ± villous inside, reflexed at anthesis. Petals 2.5-4 mm long, oblong to broadly ovate or broadly elliptic, white or greenish white. Filaments 2-4 mm long. Fr. 7-10 mm diam. (to 15 mm in cultivation), globose, black, opaque, lacking bloom, glabrous; flesh very aromatic and moderately sweet.
Erect, unarmed shrub; lvs 3–5-lobed to about the middle, dotted with resinous glands beneath; racemes drooping; pedicels 2–8 mm, much exceeding the minute, ovate bracts; hypanthium above the ovary short-campanulate; sep greenish-purple within; ovary commonly with sessile resinous glands; fr black; 2n=16. Native of Eurasia, occasionally escaped from cult.
A small shrub. It grows 2 m high and spreads 1.8 m wide. It loses its leaves during the year. It grows as a group of canes. The young stems are downy. The leaves have 3-5 lobes. These are downy underneath. The flowers are yellow-green with red centres. They hang down and are downy. The fruit hang in loose bunches.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread endozoochory
Mature width (meter) 1.4 - 1.65
Mature height (meter) 1.5 - 1.8
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It needs a cool temperate climate. It can stand moderate frosts. It requires constant moisture. In the Himalayas it grows between 2,300-4,300 m altitude. It suits hardiness zones 5-9.
More
Hedges and woodlands, often by streams. Wet meadows, disturbed streamsides, anthropogenic habitats.
Light 4-9
Soil humidity 3-9
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity 3-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 5-8

Usage

The ripe fruit are used for jam and drinks. They can also be used in sauces and pies. The buds are used for flavouring. The fresh leaves are eaten in soups. They are also used as a spice in sauerkraut. The fruit are used to make wine. The flowers are used in ice cream and liqueurs. The seeds are the source of high omega-6 oil used in salad dressings. It is only used as a food supplement.
Uses drinks dye essential oil food gene source material medicinal oil spice tea
Edible flowers fruits leaves seeds
Therapeutic use Analgesics (fruit), Anti-inflammatory agents (fruit), Free radical scavengers (fruit), Laxatives (fruit), Cooling effect on body (fruit), Anti-inflammatory agents (leaf), Cough (leaf), Diuretics (leaf), Cooling effect on body (leaf), Diet, food, and nutrition (seed), Neoplasms (seed), Thromboembolism (seed), Cough (stem), Cough (unspecified), Cyanogenetic (unspecified), Depurative (unspecified), Diuretic (unspecified), Liqueur (unspecified), Refrigerant (unspecified), Scurvy (unspecified), Sudorific (unspecified), Tea (unspecified), Detergent (unspecified), Digestive (unspecified), Tumor (unspecified), Hoarseness (unspecified), Pharyngitis (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants are easily grown from cuttings of 2 year old canes. The 3 year old canes are cut off at two buds above soil level.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -20
Optimum temperature (C°) 17 - 25
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Ribes nigrum habit picture by Dominik Muczyński (cc-by-sa)
Ribes nigrum habit picture by Giode Tonpino (cc-by-sa)
Ribes nigrum habit picture by Dieter Albrecht (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Ribes nigrum leaf picture by rcon (cc-by-sa)
Ribes nigrum leaf picture by Zdena permafarmapollak (cc-by-sa)
Ribes nigrum leaf picture by Max Mauranges (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Ribes nigrum flower picture by bella bella (cc-by-sa)
Ribes nigrum flower picture by Eric Hall (cc-by-sa)
Ribes nigrum flower picture by Ana Strohmajer Hleb (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Ribes nigrum fruit picture by Lutz Levente (cc-by-sa)
Ribes nigrum fruit picture by Matt DaKine (cc-by-sa)
Ribes nigrum fruit picture by Aladár Szabo (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Ribes nigrum world distribution map, present in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Belarus, Canada, Switzerland, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Mongolia, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Korea (Democratic People's Republic of), Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United States of America, Uzbekistan, and South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:792873-1
WFO ID wfo-0000405161
COL ID 4SYG6
BDTFX ID 56136
INPN ID 117766
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Ribes nigrum Ribes olidum Ribes apiifolium Ribes pauciflorum Ribes aconitifolium Grossularia nigra Botrycarpum nigrum Ribes cyathiforme Ribesium nigrum Botryocarpium nigrum Botrycarpum obtusilobum Ribes bactonii Ribes nigrum var. europaeum Ribes nigrum var. pauciflorum