The git plugin does not support both multiple repositories and parametrized branch names.

1) Set up a cloneable repo release
2) Put commit A into it
3) Setup up another cloneable repo development cloned from release
3.1) Put commit B into it
4) Create branch feature in development
$.1) Put commit C into it
5) Create new jenkins job
6) Add string parameter refs (no default value)
7) Enable git plugin
8) Add release repo as release
9) Add development repo as development
10) Setup branch field to development/$refs
11) Launch build pass parameter value as **
12) Build fails
13) Reconfigure job remove release repo
14) Launch build, pass parameter value as **
15) Build passes
16) Launch build, pass parameter value as feature
17) Build passes building branch feature from remote development
18) Launch build, pass parameter value as master
19) Build passes building branch master from remote development

Use case
Add back in repo release names release
In advanced section turn on pre build merge
Configure repo release and branch master as the source ref to merge to
Turn on git publisher
Publish on success,
Check Merge Results

Now you can at any time instruct jenkins to merge from the development repo any branch and push it into the release repo under master. In affect it allows you to release a branch of master and store that release in the release repo. For more fun you can parametrize development as well. Allowing you to release any remote and any branch and put the results into release master