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baked-apple-berry, chicouté, cloudberry, plaquebière

dwarf snow bramble, snow bramble, snow dewberry, snow dwarf bramble, snow raspberry

Habit Herbs, (0.5–)1–2.5(–3) dm, unarmed. Shrubs, to 1.5 dm, armed.
Stems

from rhizomes, erect, rarely woody basally, sparsely hairy, sparsely stipitate-glandular distally, not pruinose.

perennial, creeping, sparsely hairy, glabrescent, eglandular, not pruinose;

prickles sparse, strongly retrorse, stout, to 1 mm, broad-based.

Leaves

deciduous, simple;

stipules broadly ovate to oblong, 3–6 mm;

blade reniform or orbiculate, 2.5–6 × (3–)5–8(–12) cm, base cordate, 3–7-lobed, lobe apices rounded, margins finely doubly serrate or dentate, abaxial surfaces sparsely hairy, sparsely to moderately stipitate-glandular along veins.

evergreen, simple or ternate;

stipules adnate to petioles, broadly elliptic to ovate, (6–)8–10 mm;

blade ovate to cordate, (2.5–)3–5(–8) cm, lobe or leaflet base cordate, shallowly 3-lobed, margins coarsely, singly or doubly dentate, apex acute to obtuse, abaxial surfaces with prickles along midveins, glabrous or sparsely hairy, eglandular, both surfaces lustrous fresh.

Inflorescences

1-flowered.

1–2-flowered.

Pedicels

pubescent, sparsely to densely short- to long-stipitate-glandular.

prickles scattered, retrorse, moderately to densely hairy, eglandular.

Flowers

unisexual;

petals white, obovate, (8–)10–15(–18) mm;

filaments filiform;

ovaries glabrous, styles filiform, glabrous.

bisexual;

petals magenta to pink, elliptic to oblanceolate or spatulate, (5–)8–10 mm;

filaments filiform;

ovaries moderately hairy, styles glabrous.

Fruits

golden yellow to orange or reddish, globose, 1.2–1.5 cm;

drupelets (5–)10–20, moderately coherent, separating from torus.

red, hemispheric, 0.4–1 cm;

drupelets 3–10, not coherent, separating from torus.

2n

= 56.

= 14.

Rubus chamaemorus

Rubus nivalis

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Bogs, muskeg, wet meadows, mossy woods, boreal forests, peaty tundra, lichen peat polygons, exposed sandy areas, lakesides, gravelly stream beds, rock outcrops Moist, semishaded forests, glades, moist soil, logged areas
Elevation 0–1300 m (0–4300 ft) 0–1700 m (0–5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; ME; MN; NH; NY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; SPM; Greenland; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Rubus chamaemorus is circumboreal; it is presumed to be extirpated from New York, where it was known only from a single population on Long Island, far removed from the next southernmost localities in northern New Hampshire.

Rubus chamaemorus is defined by its unarmed stems, simple, coriaceous, and plicate leaves, unisexual flowers, and golden yellow to reddish fruits. Rubus chamaemorus is likely an ancient allopolyploid (K. V. Ambrose 2006).

The edible fruits of Rubus chamaemorus are highly valued in northern regions for consumption fresh and in yogurt, jams, syrups, and juices. An alcoholic beverage is made from the fruits and sold commercially in Newfoundland, Quebec, and Finland.

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

Rubus nivalis is recognized by its creeping, prickly stems, simple to ternate, evergreen leaves, broadly elliptic to ovate stipules, two leaflets, relatively small flowers, and magenta to pink petals. Its closest relative is likely the Mexican R. pumilus Focke. Asian species previously classified in subg. Chamaebatus (Focke) Focke are hexaploid (M. M. Thompson 1997) and not phylogenetically close; R. nivalis appears to be sister to all blackberries of subg. Rubus (L. A. Alice and C. S. Campbell 1999; Alice et al. 2008).

The fruits of Rubus nivalis are eaten fresh, stewed, and canned by the Hoh and Quileute Indians (A. B. Reagan 1936).

The only known specimen of Rubus nivalis from California was collected in 1961 from Del Norte County at 1250 m near the Oregon border.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 38. FNA vol. 9, p. 45.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Rubeae > Rubus Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Rubeae > Rubus
Sibling taxa
R. allegheniensis, R. arcticus, R. bartonianus, R. bifrons, R. caesius, R. canadensis, 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. 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
Synonyms Chamaemorus anglica, C. norwegica
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 494. (1753) Douglas: in W. J. Hooker, Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 181. (1832)
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