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
Solanum nigrum surfaces hairy or hairless; petiole long with a winged upper portion. The flowers have petals greenish to whitish, recurved when aged and surround prominent bright yellow anthers. The berry is mostly in diam., dull black or purple-black. In India, another strain is found with berries that turn red when ripe. Sometimes "S. nigrum" is confused for the more toxic deadly nightshade, "Atropa belladonna", in a different Solanaceae genus altogether. A comparison of the fruit shows that the black nightshade berries grow in bunches, the deadly nightshade berries grow individually. The "S. nigrum" species is a highly variable taxon with many