Temperate zones of the north hemisphere, also along the Andes. Holarctic, Neotropical, and Antarctic. Frigid zone to sub-tropical. Temperate Eurasia, Northwest Africa, North and Central America, Pacific South America to Fuegia.
Floral characters
Flowers aggregated in 'inflorescences' (or 'subsolitary'); in racemes. The terminal inflorescence unit racemose. Flowers bi- bracteolate; small to medium-sized; regular; 4-5 merous; cyclic; tetracyclic. Free hypanthium present. Perianth with distinct calyx and corolla; 2 whorled; isomerous. Calyx: 4 or 5 sepals (sometimes petaloid); Corolla: 4 or 5sepals (alternatively interpretable as staminodes); 1 whorled; polypetalous. Androecium 4, or 5. Androecial members free of the perianth and free one from another. Ovary inferior,1-3 locules.
Leaf characters
Leaves deciduous; small, or medium-sized; alternate; spiral (often fascicled, on short-shoots); flat; petiolate; non-sheathing; aromatic, or without marked odour; simple. Lamina dissected; palmatifid; palmately veined; cross-venulate. Leaves stipulate, or exstipulate. Stipules when present, intrapetiolar (adnate to the petiole). Lamina margins entire to dentate; flat.
Stipules
present or absent
Fruit characters
Septicidal capsule or berry, with persistant sepals on top. 20-100 seeded ('many'). Seeds endospermic. Endosperm oily.Very rich in vitamin C.
Glands
absent
Hairs
present or absent
Latex
absent
Odor
present or absent
Uses
Commercial sources of edible fruits (redcurrants, whitecurrants, and gooseberries also a hybrid between current and gooseberry called "jostaberry"), and cultivated ornamental shrubs (e.g. Ribes sanguineum, Ribes aureum)The tea from the root-bark of Ribes americanum are used by the american indians to expel the worms and against the kneelache
Chemical characters
Cyanogenic, or not cyanogenic. Cynogenic constituents tyrosine-derived (triglochinin?). Iridoids not detected. Proanthocyanidins present; cyanidin, or cyanidin and delphinidin. Flavonols present; kaempferol and quercetin, or kaempferol, quercetin, and myricetin. Ellagic acid present, or absent (variable in Ribes). Aluminium accumulation demonstrated. C3. C3 physiology recorded directly in Ribes.
Distribution maps
(online von http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/ . Dort zitiert wie unter jedem Diagramm vermerkt):
Grossulariaceae
map: see Hultén & Fries 1986; Jalas et al. 1999; Malyschev & Peschkova 2004 - incomplete
