Ribena pure fruit syrups for the manufacture of milkshakes had been done at the Long Ashton Agriculture and Horticulture Research Station in North Somerset using a pectinase enzyme process; Ribena was essentially invented there by Vernon Charley, a scientist at the University of Bristol in 1933. The blackcurrant variety was found to contain high levels of vitamin C. The drink was launched in 1938 under the name Ribena (from the botanical name for the blackcurrant, "Ribes nigrum"). During the Second World War, other fruits rich in vitamin C, like oranges, became almost impossible to obtain in the United Kingdom, due to
Ribes canthariforme Ribes canthariforme Ribes canthariforme is a rare North American species of currant known by the common name Moreno currant. The plant is native to southern California, having been found in San Diego County, California (Laguna Mountains and surrounding slopes) and in western Riverside County (Elsinore and San Jacinto Mountains). It is a member of the local chaparral plant community. The most recent estimates indicate that there are about 70 individual plants remaining. Most of these occur on land within Cleveland National Forest, and since there are few serious threats the species is not otherwise specifically protected. "Ribes canthariforme" is a