Blackcurrant material from the gooseberry ("Ribes grossularia"), the red currant ("Ribes rubrum") and the flowering currant ("Ribes sanguineum"). The resulting offspring were further back-crossed to "R. nigrum". Cultivars produced include 'Tisel' and 'Tiben' in 2000 and 'Ores', 'Ruben' and 'Tines' in 2005. Further cultivars 'Polares' and 'Tihope' are being tested. Since 1991, New Zealand has become an important centre for research and development, as its temperate climate is particularly suitable for cultivation of the crop. Breeding programmes are concentrating on yield, large fruit size, consistency of cropping and upright habit. In North America, there is a need for this fruit to
Ribes inerme three to five toothed lobes which may be divided partway into smaller lobes. The inflorescence is a solitary flower or raceme of up to five flowers which hangs pendent. The flower has five reddish green sepals which are reflexed upward. At the center are white or pinkish petals and protruding stamens and stigmas. The fruit is an edible hairless greenish, purple, or black berry roughly a centimeter (0.4 inch) wide. Ribes inerme Ribes inerme is a species of currant known by the common names whitestem gooseberry and white stemmed gooseberry. It is native to western North America from British Columbia