Currant
a delicious fruit. The dried currants of the stores are the fruit of a small grape cultivated in what was the ancient Ithaca (the island of Ulysses), at Patras in the Morea, in Zante, Cephalonia, etc. Currants in this sense were introduced into England in the 16th century, under the name of corinthes. The name is also given to a number of shrubs, placed in the genus Ribes, and by De Candolle in the sub-genus Ribesia. About 40 so-called species are known.
Red currant (Ribes rubrum) is a wellknown garden shrub in various respects resembling its ally the black currant, but having red fruit. It is found apparently wild in mountainous districts in the N. parts of the United States, in Scotland, and the N. of England, as well as in the N. of Continental Europe, and in Siberia.
Red-flowered currant, or bloody currant, is an ornamental species with large racemes of deep rose-colored flowers, and bluish-black berries. It is indigenous to the N. W. coast of this country.
Hawthorn currant-tree (Ribes oxyacanthoides) is indigenous to Canada and the Northern States.
Golden-flowered currant (Ribes aureum) is another American species. Dark purple-flowered currant is a species of currant wild on the Altai Mountains, and the mountainous regions near the Ural river.
Black currant (Ribes nigrum) has leaves of a strong smell. The black currant is found at large, but probably not really wild, in Great Britain, besides which it is found in Sweden and the N. of Russia, and in the S. of Europe, though there more sparingly.