GROSSULARIACEAE The Gooseberry Family |
|
The relationships of the Grossulariaceae are still somewhat
unclear. Some molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate that it it is closely related
to the Saxifragaceae, while others (based on the same data) indicate that it is more
closely related to other families. As narrowly circumscribed here, it consists of
one genus (Ribes) and about 150 species, mostly in the northern hemisphere but with
a few species in the mountains of Latin America. Gooseberries and currants are grown commercially for their fruits, e.g. English currant (R. uva-crispa), gooseberry (R. hirtellum), black currants (R. nigra), and red currant (R. sativum); currants are often dried and eaten like raisins. Some species are also grown as ornamentals, most notably the golden currant (R. aureum), the buffalo currant (R. odoratum), and the fuchsia-flowered gooseberry (R. speciosum). Species of Ribes are also economically important as the alternate host for white pine blister rust, a pest introduced from Asia which has decimated stands of timber. This has led to gooseberry eradication programs and restrictions on planting it in some parts of the U.S. |
Site created and maintained by Matthew Willmann and Melissa Luckow Cornell University, Ithaca, New York September 1998 |
|