A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Ribes, gen.sg. Ribis (s.n.III): cf. above under 'red' ruber ribis [the red of Ribes] is currant-red, the color of currants (Ribes), the epithets, R. glandulosum Grauer, R. lacustre (Pers.) Poir., R. nigrum L., R. odoratum Wendl., indicate it is a neuter noun. Subfamily Ribesioideae (Fernald 1950); see grossularius,-a,-um (adj.A). Ribes: currant (Eng.noun); “Currant, gooseberry, etc. A large and useful genus, the name of which apparently derives from the Arabic or Persian name ribas, acid-tasting. Grossulariaceae” (Stearn 1996). “Name said by Alphonse DeCandolle to come from the old Danish colloquial ‘ribs’ for the Red Currant” (Fernald 1950).

A shrub of the genus Ribes with berries white [i.e. pale green to pale yellow], red, black (i.e. dark purple).

NOTE: the gooseberries, with jointed pedicels and bristles or spines at the nodes, are sometimes separated into the genus Grossularia.

Tribe Ribesieae (Bentham & Hooker).

Ribes, gen.sg. Ribis neuter noun.

   singular    plural
nom. ribes     ribes
gen. ribis     ribium
dat. ribi      ribibus
acc. ribes     ribes
abl. ribe      ribibus

NOTE: as a neuter noun, the acc.sg. = the nom.sg., ‘ribes;’ the acc. pl. = nom.pl., ‘ribes.’

NOTE: i-stem nouns may end in –is or –es in the nominative singular, but also –is in the genitive singular, and also with the same number of syllables in the nominativesingular as well as all the other cases(the stem is not augmented by syllables additional to those displayed in the nominative singular, i.e. the noun in all the cases is parisyllabic 'having equal syllables'). NOTE: the genitive plural in i-stem nouns ends in –ium (not –um, which is typical of third declension nouns).

1. In accounts on-line, the noun Ribes derives from Arabic words, ‘ribas,’ meaning Syrian rhubarb; also currant; and also from Persian, ‘rivas’ meaning rhubarb. As a foreign word, it is construed to be a neuter, non-declinable noun (Wiktionary, “ribes” accessed Oct. 2023). In botanical usage,however,it apparently was thought necessary to make it a Latin neuter, i-stem noun of the third declension, gen.pl. ‘ribium’ (see citations below).

2. Also on-line, there is a paradigm where the noun Ribes is considered to be a feminine noun of the third declension, and not an i-stem, hence the genitive plural ‘ribum.’ This concept would make the nom.sg. and acc.sg. different (ribes and ribem). Here, the usage of, e.g. of Bentham and Hooker is followed;

- (acc. sg. Ribem) Cum Lythraceis affinitas Saxifragearum clara est, per Crypteroniam, Raleighiam, aliaque; cum Ficoideis per Ribem (B&H), the affinity of the Saxifrageae is clear with the Lythraceae through Crypteronia, Raleighia, and others; with the Ficoideae through Ribes.

- (abl. sg. Ribe) fructus baccatus et polyspermus in Forgesia, Roussea, Ribe et Cyanitide (B&H), the fruit is berry-like and many-seeded in Forgesia, Roussea, Ribes and Cyanitis.

- (gen.sg. Ribis) sapor & odor fructus, florum, totiusque plantae Ribis nigri simillimus (Swartz), the taste and odor of the fruits, flowers, and of the whole plant of Ribes nigrum most similar.

- (gen.sg. Ribis) in ramulis siccis Ulmi campestris, copiosius Ribis rubri (S&A), on the dry branchlets of Ulmus campestris, more abundantly [those of] Ribes rubrum.

- (gen.sg. Ribis) crescit in foliis Grossulariae passim — Ribis rubri (in horto nostro) rarior (S&A), it grows here and there on the leaves of Grossulariae - of Ribes rubrum (in our own garden) more infrequent.

Nectria ribis, Tode [(on the dead stems of) Nectria of Ribes.

Botryosphaeria ribis, causes “Die-back of currants”

In the species name Ribes Grossularia, the epithet is the name of the earlier genus Grossularia and is, hence a noun in apposition to the neuter genus-name Ribes.

- [moss] Ad truncos et ramulos fruticum, praesertim Crataegi oxyacanthae, Pruni spinosae, Rhamni catharticae et Ribis Grossulariae (C. Muell.), on the trunks and branchlets of shrubs, especially Crataegus oxyacantha, Prunus spinosa, Rhamnus cathartica and Ribes Grossularia.

NOTE: above, the genitive singular of Ribes (Ribis) and the gen.sg. of the noun in apposition (Grossulariae).

EXCEPTION:

1. (gen.pl. Ribum, rather than Ribium) [Jacquinia]arbor baccifera, laurifolia, fructu corallino ribum instar racemoso calyculato venenato (Swartz), a tree bearing berries, with the leaves of Laurus, with the fruit coral-red, resembling Ribes [gen. pl.], full of racemes, calyculate, poisonous.

2. however (gen.pl. Ribium): Syrupi Ribium Nigrorum, Syrups of Black Currant.