blackcurrant

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• blackcurrant
• European black currant
• cultivated black currant
• garden black currant

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Grossularia nigra
• Botrycarpum nigrum
• Ribesium nigrum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Saxifragales, it is classified under the family Grossulariaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Ribes.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known scientifically as Ribes nigrum, exhibits a specific distribution across several regions in Northern Europe. It can be found growing naturally throughout the territory of Denmark. The species is also widely distributed across the landscapes of Finland. Furthermore, its presence extends to the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. Finally, the plant is commonly documented within the borders of Norway.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Ribes nigrum is characterized by its ability to thrive in transitional environments and successional landscapes. It is commonly found inhabiting burn clearings, forest interiors, and forest edges, where it takes advantage of varying levels of light availability and soil disturbance. These specific habitats provide the necessary moisture and nutrient-rich conditions required for its development, often positioning the species at the interface between dense woodland and more open, disturbed areas. By occupying these ecological niches, particularly in post-fire clearings and edge zones, the plant benefits from increased solar exposure while remaining protected by the surrounding forest structure.

Habitat :

burn clearings, forest, forest edges

Life history

The life history of Ribes nigrum is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist in its habitat over multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, its reproductive shoots are elevated above the ground level, a structural adaptation that defines its life form. This plant exhibits a deciduous nature, shedding its foliage annually in response to seasonal changes, which influences its periodic cycles of growth and dormancy.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Ribes nigrum is characterized by its growth form as a woody shrub, which maintains an independent life cycle without being a parasite or an epiphyte. As a terrestrial species, it does not exhibit aquatic or semiaquatic tendencies. The plant is self-supporting rather than acting as a liana or vine, and its physical stature typically reaches a mean height of approximately 1.41 meters, though individual specimens can range in height from a minimum of 0.6 meters to a maximum of 2.5 meters.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

2.5 m

Plant height mean:

1.40566666666667 m

Plant height min:

0.6 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Ribes nigrum is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a common metabolic strategy for temperate woody shrubs that facilitates carbon fixation under moderate environmental conditions. As a non-carnivorous organism, the plant relies entirely on autotrophic nutrient acquisition through its root system and soil interface rather than capturing prey. Its leaf morphology plays a critical role in its energy budget, featuring a mean leaf size of approximately 29.8985 cm² and a mean leaf width of 11 cm, which does not deviate from its minimum and maximum width measurements of 11 cm. The leaves exhibit a maximum length of up to 8 cm, providing a structural framework for efficient light interception. Furthermore, the plant maintains a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 200.36 cm²/g, a physiological indicator that reflects the relationship between its leaf area and its biomass, influencing how the plant manages light harvesting and water-use efficiency within its habitat.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf length max:

8 cm

Leaf size mean:

29.8985 cm²

Leaf width mean:

11 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

200.36 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Ribes nigrum is characterized by a sexual process facilitated by its dioecious nature, meaning individual plants are either male or female, and self-fertilization is absent. The flowering period typically begins in April and concludes in May. During this time, the plant relies on biotic pollination syndromes, specifically utilizing insects such as bees to facilitate the transfer of pollen. Following successful fertilization, the plant produces fruit classified as a berry, which is indehiscent in nature. These berries have an average width of 0.9 cm and contain seeds with a mean mass of 0.047516 g. The dispersal of the species is zoochorous, specifically employing an endozoochorous mechanism, where seeds are dispersed through the digestive tracts of animals that consume the fruit. There is no evidence of asexual reproduction in this species.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

endozoochorous

Flowering time :

Apr

Flowering time :

May

Fruit type :

berry

Fruit width mean:

0.9 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

dioecious

Seed mass mean:

0.047516 g

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Ribes nigrum has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and medicine

Chemicals

Ribes nigrum has 200 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Anthocyanins, ANTHOCYANIN, Cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside, Delphinidin 3-O-rutinoside, Flavonoids.

Anthocyanins

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
3. Brain research
4. Cureus

ANTHOCYANIN

1. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
2. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside

1. Chemistry & biodiversity
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Delphinidin 3-O-rutinoside

1. Chemistry & biodiversity
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Flavonoids

1. Dr. Duke
2. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Isoquercitrin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and medicine

Proanthocyanidin

1. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology
2. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

RUTIN

1. Dr. Duke
2. Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and medicine

gamma-Linolenic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR

(+)-Gallocatechin

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Ribes nigrum has 737 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Anticancer, Antihypertensive, Antispasmodic, Antiviral.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Current topics in medicinal chemistry
5. Pharmaceutical biology

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current topics in medicinal chemistry

Antihypertensive

1. Dr. Duke
2. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

Antispasmodic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre

Antiviral

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current topics in medicinal chemistry

(-)-Chronotropic

1. Dr. Duke

(-)-Inotropic

1. Dr. Duke

11B-HSD-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-Alpha-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

5-HT-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Ribes nigrum has 13 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Liver cancer, allergic reactions, arterial blood pressure, arthritis, asthma.

Liver cancer

1. Current topics in medicinal chemistry

Allergic reactions

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Arterial blood pressure

1. Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology

Arthritis

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Asthma

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Blood pressure

1. Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology

Common cold

1. PloS one

Gastrointestinal disorders

1. Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre

Heart rate

1. Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology

Hypotension

1. Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology

Preparations

Ribes nigrum has 2 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include bud-prepariations, methanol extracts.

Bud-prepariations

1. Pharmaceutical biology

Methanol extracts

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)