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alleghaney blackberry, Alleghany blackberry, Allegheny blackberry, common blackberry, prairie rose, ronce des alléghanys, sow-teat berry

European blackberry

Habit Shrubs, 10–30 dm, armed. Shrubs, 10–20 dm, armed.
Stems

biennial, erect-arching, sparsely to densely hairy, sparsely to abundantly stipitate-glandular, glands usually flattened to cupulate, not pruinose;

prickles sparse to dense, erect or slightly retrorse, stout, 4–10 mm, broad-based.

biennial, arching, usually densely, sometimes moderately, hairy, usually eglandular, sometimes sessile- to short-stipitate-glandular, not pruinose;

prickles moderate to dense, recurved to erect, slender, 3–10 mm, broad-based.

Leaves

deciduous, palmately compound, not lustrous;

stipules filiform to narrowly lanceolate, (2–)5–15(–20) mm;

leaflets (3–)5(–7), terminal ovate to lanceolate, 7–16 × 4–9 cm, base rounded to shallowly cordate, unlobed, margins finely to coarsely serrate or doubly serrate, apex acuminate to long-attenuate, abaxial surfaces with hooked prickles on midveins, moderately hairy, moderately to densely stipitate-glandular on veins.

deciduous or ± persistent, palmately compound;

stipules filiform to linear, 5–15 mm;

leaflets 3–5, terminal usually suborbiculate to orbiculate, sometimes broadly elliptic, 4–9 × 4–8 cm, base rounded to shallowly cordate, unlobed, margins moderately to coarsely serrate, apex acute to cuspidate, abaxial surfaces with hooked prickles on midvein, densely white-gray to gray-green tomentose, eglandular or obscurely short-stipitate- to sessile-glandular along midveins.

Inflorescences

terminal on short shoots, sometimes appearing axillary, (5–)15–25-flowered, racemiform, often elongate.

terminal, 7–35-flowered, cymiform or thyrsiform.

Pedicels

unarmed or prickles sparse, hooked, densely hairy, densely short- to long-stipitate-glandular.

prickles moderate to dense, recurved to erect, densely hairy, moderately to densely stipitate-glandular.

Flowers

bisexual;

petals white, obovate to elliptic, rarely suborbiculate, 8–20 mm;

filaments filiform;

ovaries glabrous or glabrate.

bisexual;

petals pink to magenta, elliptic to suborbiculate, 6–12(–15) mm;

filaments filiform;

ovaries apically hairy.

Fruits

black, globose to cylindric, 1–2 cm;

drupelets 20–100, strongly coherent, separating with torus attached.

black, globose, 1–1.5 cm;

drupelets 15–40, coherent, separating with torus attached.

2n

= 14, 21, 28.

= 28.

Rubus allegheniensis

Rubus vestitus

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Woodlands, savannas, prairies, meadows, rock outcrops, disturbed areas, dry to damp soil Woodland edges, open areas, disturbed areas, in moist soil
Elevation 0–1600 m (0–5200 ft) 0–600 m (0–2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; BC; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR; BC; Europe [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Rubus allegheniensis consists of erect-arching, usually well-armed plants, usually densely stipitate-glandular with flattened to cupulate glands, particularly about the inflorescence.

The Menominee, Meskwaki, and Potawatomi used root extracts of Rubus allegheniensis to treat eye irritation (H. H. Smith 1923, 1928, 1933). The Ojibwa used boiled extracts of the canes as a diuretic and a root extract for treating diarrhea (Smith 1932). Rubus allegheniensis is introduced in British Columbia and California, where rare and in at least California probably no more than a waif.

Rubus montanus (Porter) Porter, a name that has been used for this species, is a later homonym of R. montanus Libert ex Lejeune.

The following nothospecies names are based on putative hybrids involving Rubus allegheniensis and: R. canadensis (R. ×forestalis L. H. Bailey, R. ×immanis Ashe); R. flagellaris (R. ×boyntonii Ashe, R. ×fraternalis L. H. Bailey [based on R. ×fraternus Brainerd & Peitersen (not R. fraternus Gremli), R. ×licens L. H. Bailey, R. ×ostryifolius Rydberg); R. pensilvanicus (R. ×avipes L. H. Bailey, R. ×floricomus Blanchard, R. ×orarius Blanchard); R. setosus (R. ×abbrevians Blanchard, R. ×aculiferus Fernald, R. ×adenocaulis Fernald, R. ×angustifoliatus L. H. Bailey, R. ×ascendens Blanchard, R. ×atwoodii L. H. Bailey, R. ×clausenii L. H. Bailey, R. ×flavinanus Blanchard, R. ×frondisentis Blanchard, R. ×perspicuus L. H. Bailey, R. ×ravus L. H. Bailey).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Rubus vestitus can be distinguished, especially from the closely related R. bifrons and R. ulmifolius, by its long-stipitate-glandular hairs, particularly in the inflorescence, and terminal primocane leaflets that are typically suborbiculate and abaxially densely tomentose. Rubus allegheniensis can possess similar glandular hairs; it does not have pink petals, thyrsiform inflorescences, and rounded and abaxially densely tomentose, often whitened terminal leaflets.

Rubus vestitus has not yet been found in Washington, but it is likely there. Because of the overall similarity of R. vestitus to R. bifrons, it is possible that this potentially weedy species is widespread, but rare and possibly overlooked, occurring as far south as California. In Oregon, R. vestitus prefers shady habitats (B. Wilson, pers. comm.).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 34. FNA vol. 9, p. 56.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Rubeae > Rubus Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Rubeae > Rubus
Sibling taxa
R. arcticus, R. bartonianus, R. bifrons, R. caesius, R. canadensis, R. chamaemorus, R. cuneifolius, R. deliciosus, R. flagellaris, R. glaucifolius, R. hispidus, R. idaeus, R. illecebrosus, R. laciniatus, R. lasiococcus, R. leucodermis, R. neomexicanus, R. nivalis, R. niveus, R. nutkanus, R. occidentalis, R. odoratus, R. parviflorus, R. parvifolius, R. pascuus, R. pedatus, R. pensilvanicus, R. phoenicolasius, R. pubescens, R. repens, R. saxatilis, R. setosus, R. spectabilis, R. trivialis, R. ulmifolius, R. ursinus, R. vestitus
R. allegheniensis, R. arcticus, R. bartonianus, R. bifrons, R. caesius, R. canadensis, R. chamaemorus, R. cuneifolius, R. deliciosus, R. flagellaris, R. glaucifolius, R. hispidus, R. idaeus, R. illecebrosus, R. laciniatus, R. lasiococcus, R. leucodermis, R. neomexicanus, R. nivalis, R. niveus, R. nutkanus, R. occidentalis, R. odoratus, R. parviflorus, R. parvifolius, R. pascuus, R. pedatus, R. pensilvanicus, R. phoenicolasius, R. pubescens, R. repens, R. saxatilis, R. setosus, R. spectabilis, R. trivialis, R. ulmifolius, R. ursinus
Synonyms R. villosus var. montanus, R. acadiensis, R. allegheniensis var. calycosus, R. allegheniensis var. gravesii, R. allegheniensis var. neoscoticus, R. allegheniensis var. plausus, R. allegheniensis var. populifolius, R. alumnus, R. apianus, R. attractus, R. auroralis, R. campester, R. concameratus, R. fryei, R. glandicaulis, R. impos, R. inclinis, R. irregularis, R. licitus, R. montpelierensis, R. nigrobaccus, R. nuperus, R. paulus, R. pugnax, R. rosa, R. saltuensis, R. sceleratus
Name authority Porter: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 23: 153. (1896) Weihe & Nees: in M. J. Bluff et al., Comp. Fl. German. 1: 684. (1825)
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