GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF NATIVE RIBES SPECIES PRESENT IN THE HERBARIUM OF CHILE

A group of native Ribes species grow in the wild in Chile: these species need to be selected and evaluated for potential use as edible fruits or ornamentals.
In this work we report the geographical distribution of Ribes species in Chile, we compiled information from herbarium samples collected since the 19th century in Chile.
Samples were obtained from the three major herbaria in Chile: the Natural History Museum in Santiago; the Botanic Institute in Concepcion; and the private herbarium of Dr.
Otto Zollner, in Quilpué. Together these herbaria represent about 95% of the collected pressed specimens in Chile.
A database was prepared including the geographical coordinates of each sample.
A map of species distribution was constructed at the Remote Perception Center at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile.
Three hundred and seven samples were found from 15 different species distributed from Coquimbo (30°50’S) to Punta Arenas (55°62’S). The most abundant species was Ribes magellanicum (116 samples) followed by Ribes punctatum (77 samples), and Ribes cucullatum (62 samples). Fruits were red, black or green.
None of the species are domesticated yet.

VIII International Rubus and Ribes Symposium

M.P. Banados, C. Hojas, C. Patillo, J. Gonzales

wild currant, berries, Chile, Southern hemisphere

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.585.13