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boulder raspberry, delicious raspberry

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

Habit Shrubs, 5–15(–20) dm, unarmed. Shrubs, 10–30 dm, armed.
Stems

decumbent to erect, glabrous or sparsely short-hairy, eglandular or sparsely stipitate-glandular, not pruinose.

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.

Leaves

deciduous, simple;

stipules lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 5–8(–14) mm;

blade orbiculate to reniform, (1.5–)2–4(–5) × (2.5–)3–4.5(–7) cm, base shallowly cordate, 3–5(–7)-lobed, lobe apices broadly rounded to obtuse, margins doubly dentate, abaxial surfaces sparsely hairy, mostly along veins, sparsely stipitate-glandular.

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.

Inflorescences

1-flowered.

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

Pedicels

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

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

Flowers

bisexual;

petals white, obovate to ovate, 15–25(–30) mm;

filaments filiform;

ovaries glabrous, styles clavate, villous.

bisexual;

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

filaments filiform;

ovaries glabrous or glabrate.

Fruits

dark purple, hemispheric, to 1 cm;

drupelets 10–40, coherent, separating from torus.

black, globose to cylindric, 1–2 cm;

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

2n

= 14, 21.

= 14, 21, 28.

Rubus deliciosus

Rubus allegheniensis

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Rocky canyons, outcrops, stream banks Woodlands, savannas, prairies, meadows, rock outcrops, disturbed areas, dry to damp soil
Elevation 1800–2900 m (5900–9500 ft) 0–1600 m (0–5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; NM; OK; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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]
Discussion

Rubus deliciosus is recognized by its decumbent to erect, unarmed stems, relatively small simple leaves with obtuse to broadly rounded lobes, shallowly cordate bases, sparsely hairy abaxial surfaces, large flowers, white petals, glabrous or sparsely hairy sepals, and densely villous clavate styles. The distinction between R. deliciosus and R. neomexicanus is not always clear, especially when the former has more narrowly obtuse lobes and denser leaf abaxial hairs. Rubus deliciosus is also similar to R. bartonianus of Idaho and Oregon, as well as the Mexican R. trilobus Seringe. It might be reasonable to recognize a broader concept of R. deliciosus, one containing multiple infraspecific. Rubus deliciosus and its close relatives require a revisionary study.

Rubus deliciosus has long been planted for its ornamental value because of its large, showy flowers.

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

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.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 39. FNA vol. 9, p. 34.
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. chamaemorus, R. cuneifolius, 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. 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
Synonyms R. medius, R. roezlii 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 Torrey: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 196. (1827) Porter: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 23: 153. (1896)
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