Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum)

Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum) is a plant species in the Grossulariaceae family. It is a medium-sized shrub that grows to 1.5 meters in height and 1.5 meters in width. Its leaves are simple and arranged alternately; they measure 3 cm in width and 5 cm in length, featuring five palmate lobes and serrated margins. The entire plant emits a strong aroma.

The flowers appear in clusters (racemes) up to 8 cm long, each consisting of 10–20 individual blossoms, each 8 mm in diameter. Every flower has hairy sepals dotted with yellow glands. The five sepal lobes are longer than the petals.

There are five stamens surrounding the stigma and style, along with two fused carpels. The flowers bloom sequentially, starting from the base of the cluster. They are primarily pollinated by insects, though some pollen is also dispersed by the wind. R. nigrum is also capable of a degree of self-pollination.

The fruit, initially green, ripens into a glossy, deep purple—appearing almost black—with the sepals remaining attached at the tip. The fruit contains numerous seeds. A single shrub can yield 4.5 kilograms of fruit annually. The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked in both sweet and savory dishes. It is used to produce jams, preserves, syrups, juices, alcoholic beverages, and food coloring.

Raw blackcurrants consist of 82% water, 15% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and 0.4% fat. A 100-gram serving provides 63 kilocalories and is rich in vitamin C (218% of the Daily Value/DV), as well as iron (12% of the DV) and manganese (12% of the DV). Other nutrients are present at levels below 10% of the Daily Value. Seed oil is rich in vitamin E and unsaturated fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid and gamma-linolenic acid.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Grossulariaceae
Genus: Ribes L. in Sp. Pl.: 200 (1753)
Species: Ribes nigrum L. in Sp. Pl.: 201 (1753)
Variety:
Ribes nigrum var. kolymense Trautv.
Ribes nigrum var. nigrum

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Botrycarpum nigrum (L.) Spach in Hist. Nat. Vég. 6: 158 (1838)
Grossularia nigra (L.) Rupr. in Fl. Ingrica: 418 (1860)
Ribes nigrum subsp. vulgare Ehrh. in Hannover. Mag. 18: 218 (1780)
Ribesium nigrum (L.) Medik. in Philos. Bot. 1: 120 (1789)

PUBLICATIONS

Abdulina, S.A. (1999). Spisok Sosudistykn Rastenii Kazakhstana: 1-187. Academy of Sciences, Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Broughton, D.A. & McAdam, J.H. (2002). The non-native vascular flora of the Falkland islands. Botanical Journal of Scotland 54: 153-190.

Chang, C.S., Kim, H. & Chang, K.S. (2014). Provisional checklist of vascular plants for the Korea peninsula flora (KPF): 1-660. DESIGNPOST.

Dar, G.H. & Govaerts, R.H.A. (2025). Flora of Kashmir Himalaya: Sind Valley 1: 1-606. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun, India.

Davis, P.H. (ed.) (1972). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 4: 1-657. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.

Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2009). Flora of North America North of Mexico 8: 1-585. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

Gilman, A.V. (2015). New flora of Vermont. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 110: 1-614.

Hassler, M. & Muer, T. (2022). Flora Germanica: alle Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Deutschlands in Text und Bild 1: 1-864. Verlag Regionalkultur, Uberstadt-Weiher.

Jalas, J., Suominen, J., Lampinen, R. & Kurtto, A.(eds.) (1999). Atlas Florae Europaeae. Distribution of vascular plants in Europe 12: 1-250.

Knapp, W.M. & Naczi, R.F.C. (2021). Vascular plants of Maryland, USA. A comprehensive account of the state's botanical diversity. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 113: 1-151.

Kozhevnikov, A.E., Kozhevnikov, Z.V., Kwak, M. & Lee, B.Y. (2019). Illustrated flora of the Primorsky Territory, Russian Far East: 1-1124. National institute of biological resources.

Malyschev, L.I. & Peschkova, G.A. (eds.) (2004). Flora of Siberia 7: 1-318. Scientific Publishers, Inc., Enfield, Plymouth.

Mirek, Z., Piękoś-Mirkowa, H., Zając, A. & Zając, M (2020). Vascular plants of Poland an annotated checklist: 1-526. W. Szafer institute of botany, Polish academy of sciences, Krakow, Poland.

Mohlenbrock, R.H. (2014). Vascular Flora of Illinois. A Field Guide, ed. 4: 1-536. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.

Nasir, E. & Ali, S.I. (eds.) (1970-1995). Flora of West Pakistan 1-131. Nikitin, V.V. (ed.) (1949). Flora Turkmenii 4: 1-364. Turkmenskoe gosudarstvennoe izd., Ashkhabad.

Nikolin, E.G. (2020). Opredelitel' vysshikh rasteniy Yakutii: 1-895. Moskva : Tovarishchestvo Nauchnykh Izdaniy KMK Novosibirsk "Nauka".

Ovczinnikov, P.N. (ed.) (1975). Flora Tadzhikskoi SSR 4: 1-576. Izd-vo Akademii nauk SSSR, Moskva.

Probatova, N.S. & al. (2006). Flora Rossiĭskogo Dal'nego Vostoka. Dopolneniya i izmeneniya k izdaniyu Sosudistye rasteniya sovetskogo Dal'nego Vostoka t. 1-8 (1985-1996): 1-454. Russian academy of sciences Far Eastern branch.

Skvortsov, A.K. (2011). Zametka o dvukh sredneaziatskich topolyakh. Byulleten' Glavnogo Botaniceskogo Sada 195: 32-37.

Stace, C. (2019). New Flora of the British Isles ed. 4: 1-1266. C & M Floristics.

Stalažs, A. (2024). List of vascular plants of Latvia (with Latvian names): 1-312. Dobele.

Takahashi, H. (2024). Plants of Sakhalin island: 1-791. Hokkaido University Press.

Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2001). Flora of China 8: 1-506. Science Press (Beijing) & Missouri Botanical Garden Press (St. Louis).

Zhao, Y.Z., Zhao, L.Q. & Rui, C. (eds.) (2019). Flora Intramongolica, edition 3, 2: 1-579. Typis Intramongolicae popularis, Huhhot.

VERNACULAR NAME

Armenian: Սև հաղարջենի
Chinese (simplified): 黑加仑 - 黑茶藨子 - 黑醋栗
Chinese (traditional) 黑醋栗 - 黑加侖
Czech: Rybíz černý
Danish: Solbær
Dutch: Zwarte bes
English: Blackcurrant, Black currant, Cassis
Estonian: Must sõstar
Finnish: Mustaherukka
French: Cassis, Cassissier, Groseillier noir
German: Schwarze Johannisbeere, Schwarze Ribisel
Hungarian: Fekete ribiszke
Indonesia: Kismis hitam
Italian: Ribes nero
Japanese: クロスグリ
Korean: 양까막까치밤나무
Latvian: Melnā upene
Lithuanian: Juodasis serbentas
Mongolian: Хар улаагана
Norwegian: Solbær
Polish: Porzeczka czarna
Portuguese: Cassis, Groselheira-preta
Russian: Смородина чёрная
Slovak: Ríbezľa čierna
Spanish: Casis
Swedish: Svarta vinbär
Turkish: Frenk üzümü, Frenküzümü
Ukrainian: Смородина чорна

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
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