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 sericeum be over a centimeter (0.4 inch) long. The leaves are up to 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) long and are divided into several lobes with toothed edges. The leaves are hairy and glandular, especially on the undersides. The inflorescence is a solitary flower or a raceme of 2 or 3 flowers. Each flower has five reflexed green, red-tinged or red sepals around a tube-shaped ring of smaller whitish petals. The fruit is a purple berry up to 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) long which is covered in bristles. Ribes sericeum Ribes sericeum is a species of currant known by the common name