Gooseberry Arlecchino

Medium-ripening variety, developed at the Southern Ural Research Institute of Fruit and Vegetable Growing and Potato Cultivation by crossing the varieties Chelyabinsk Green and African. Author: V.S. Ilyin. Since 1995, it has been included in the State Register of Selection Achievements approved for use in the Ural and West Siberian regions.

Medium-height, medium-spreading, medium-dense bush. Growing stems are medium-thick, straight, light-green, hairless, weakly thorny. Thorns at nodes are single, weak, short, thin, straight, brown, pointing downward relative to the stem, not present on all stems. On some replacement stems at the base of internodes, weak thornlets occur.

Leaves are large, green, weakly glossy, weakly hairy, weakly wrinkled, blade slightly and evenly concave or straight, soft. Leaves are five- or four-lobed. Lobes are round, central lobe exceeds lateral ones, elongated oval, without additional protrusions. Angle between central veins of lateral lobes is acute, lateral lobes are narrow, with rounded tips directed sideways. Basal lobes are poorly developed. Leaf base on developing stems has a very fine rounded notch, sometimes straight. Teeth are blunt, short, not curled. Petiole is long, medium-thick, light-green, weakly hairy. Buds are small, with pointed apex, brown, deviated from the stem. Petiole trace is round.

Flowers are small, brightly colored, inflorescences with two or three flowers. Sepals are long, medium-width, light-red or even pink, not closed, reflexed. Pedicels are thin, narrow, light-green, hairless.

Berries are medium-sized (2.7–5.4 g), one-dimensional, round-oval, dark-cherry, almost black, without hair, with medium-thick skin. Taste is sweet-tart, pleasant, rating 4.8 points. Berry stalk is medium-length, dark-green. Chemical composition: dry matter — 12.3%, sugar content — 6.6%, titratable acidity — 3.3%, ascorbic acid — 24.4 mg/100 g. Berries are of universal use.

Cold-hardy, high-yielding, average multi-year yield is 8.0 t/ha, maximum — 20.0 t/ha (2.4–6.0 kg/plant), self-fertile (38.9%), resistant to powdery mildew, weakly thorny.

Advantages of the variety: resistance to powdery mildew, high yield, berry taste qualities, weak thorniness of stems.