Rubus nivalis
Rubus nutkanus
dwarf snow bramble, snow bramble, snow dewberry, snow dwarf bramble, snow raspberry
thimbleberry
perennial, creeping, sparsely hairy, glabrescent, eglandular, not pruinose;
prickles sparse, strongly retrorse, stout, to 1 mm, broad-based.
biennial, erect, sparsely hairy, glabrescent, moderately stipitate-glandular, glands yellowish to reddish, not pruinose.
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.
deciduous, simple;
stipules lanceolate to ovate, 5–15 mm;
blade orbiculate to reniform, 5–20 × 5–25 cm, base cordate, palmately, shallowly to moderately deeply, (3–)5(–7)-lobed, margins coarsely, irregularly serrate to doubly serrate, apex shortly acuminate to obtuse, abaxial surfaces glabrate to densely hairy, sparsely to moderately stipitate-glandular, glands yellowish to reddish.
1–2-flowered.
terminal and axillary, (1–)3–7(–15), cymiform to thyrsiform.
prickles scattered, retrorse, moderately to densely hairy, eglandular.
sparsely to moderately hairy, moderately to densely stipitate-glandular, glands yellowish to reddish.
bisexual;
petals magenta to pink, elliptic to oblanceolate or spatulate, (5–)8–10 mm;
filaments filiform;
ovaries moderately hairy, styles glabrous.
bisexual;
petals white, broadly obovate, (10–)14–22(–28) mm;
filaments filiform;
ovaries distally densely hairy, styles clavate, glabrous.
red, hemispheric, 0.4–1 cm;
drupelets 3–10, not coherent, separating from torus.
red, hemispheric, 1–1.8 cm;
drupelets 50–60, coherent, separating from torus.
= 14.
= 14.
Rubus nivalis
Rubus nutkanus
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.)
Rubus nutkanus is distinguished from other flowering raspberries by its erect, unarmed stems, simple leaves, large flowers, white petals, glabrous, clavate styles, and yellowish to reddish stipitate glands covering most plant parts. A hybrid with R. odoratus (R. ×fraseri Rehder) is thought to occur in areas of overlap in northern Michigan (E. G. Voss 1972–1996, vol. 2). Varieties and forms have been described based on indument and glandularity of stems, leaves, petioles, pedicels, and sepals (for example, M. L. Fernald 1950). Different variants often occur mixed in the same population and generally do not correspond to definite geographic regions (N. C. Fassett 1941). Plants from coastal California (considered as var. velutinus) tend to have densely hairy leaf abaxial surfaces; this variation may be environmentally induced; other Rubus species show the same pattern (for example, R. spectabilis var. franciscanus) in that area. Wild thimbleberries are collected in Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan, and are used in beverages and especially for jam.
Rubus nutkanus is typically associated with western North America but was originally described from plants at its eastern range limit in northern Michigan. The Great Lakes populations are disjunct from western mountain populations by around 600 miles.
The name Rubus parviflorus var. grandiflorus Farwell, which applies here, is illegitimate.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
IL Wildflowers
MI Flora
MN Wildflowers
SW CO Wildflowers
