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 menziesii the flower. The sepals are fuchsia or purple. The petals are white and extend forward to form a loose tube from which the stamens emerge. The plant fruits purple gooseberries which are edible but are mainly seeds with little fruit, generally regarded as unpalatable. The plant's spines also make collecting fruit difficult. "Ribes menziesii" is cultivated as an ornamental plant for native plant and wildlife gardens, in areas of suitable climate, such as coastal California. It is valued for its attractive spring blooms. Ribes menziesii Ribes menziesii, the canyon gooseberry, is a species of currant found only in California and