Rubus odoratus
Rubus caesius
flowering raspberry, purple flowering raspberry, ronce odorante
European dewberry
erect, sparsely to moderately hairy, moderately to densely stipitate-glandular, glands dark purple, not pruinose.
biennial, creeping or arching then creeping, glabrous or hairy, eglandular or sparsely sessile- to short-stipitate-glandular, strongly pruinose;
prickles sparse to dense, erect to retrorse, slender, 1–3 mm, narrow- or broad-based.
deciduous, simple;
stipules lanceolate to ovate, 5–15 mm;
blade subrotund to reniform, 9–20(–30) × (10–)15–25(–30) cm, base cordate, palmately, ± deeply, (3–)5-lobed, margins finely, irregularly serrate to doubly serrate, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surfaces sparsely to moderately hairy, sparsely to densely stipitate-glandular, glands dark purple.
deciduous, ternate;
stipules linear-lanceolate to ovate, 5–15 mm;
terminal leaflets ovate, 4–14 × 3–10 cm, base rounded to shallowly cordate, unlobed or shallowly lobed, margins coarsely serrate to doubly serrate, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surfaces with prickles on midveins or unarmed, sparsely to moderately hairy, eglandular or sparsely short-stipitate-glandular along larger veins.
terminal and axillary, 4–7(–22)-flowered, cymiform to thyrsiform.
terminal on short shoot, usually appearing axillary, 1–6-flowered, solitary flowers, cymiform, or racemiform.
pubescent, moderately to densely stipitate-glandular, glands dark purple.
unarmed or prickles sparse to dense, erect to retrorse, densely hairy, sparsely to densely sessile- to short- or long-stipitate-glandular.
bisexual;
petals usually magenta, rarely white, broadly obovate to suborbiculate, (12–)17–25(–30) mm;
filaments filiform;
ovaries distally densely hairy, styles clavate, glabrous.
bisexual;
petals white, obovate to elliptic or suborbiculate, 7–13 mm;
filaments filiform;
ovaries glabrous.
pale to dark red, hemispheric, 0.7–1.5 cm;
drupelets 30–60, coherent, separating from torus.
appearing bluish, black beneath bloom, pruinose, globose, 0.5–1.5 cm;
drupelets 1–5(–20), weakly coherent, separating with torus attached.
= 14.
= 28.
Rubus odoratus
Rubus caesius
Rubus odoratus is introduced in Washington State. The species is distinguished from other flowering raspberries by its erect, unarmed stems, simple leaves, large flowers, magenta petals, glabrous, clavate styles, and purple stipitate glands densely covering most plant parts. A hybrid with R. nutkanus (R. ×fraseri Rehder) is thought to occur in areas of overlap in northern Michigan (E. G. Voss 1972–1996, vol. 2).
The Cherokee used leaf infusions for labor pains and the Iroquois used plant infusions for miscarriage (P. Bergner 1997). Rubus odoratus is grown as an ornamental for its relatively large flowers and magenta petals and its edible fruits that are somewhat dry and insipid.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Within the flora area, Rubus caesius usually produces fruit with few, relatively large drupelets; in Eurasia, fruit with more drupelets are typical, and weakly pruinose fruit have been observed.
Rubus caesius is vegetatively similar to R. flagellaris and is introduced into parts of the geographic range of the latter; see M. P. Widrlechner (1998) for a comparison of these two species. Rubus caesius shows striking vegetative similarity to pruinose, trifoliate-leaved plants of R. ursinus, with which it may have a close relationship (L. A. Alice, unpubl.). In the absence of flowers or fruit, these two species could be mistaken for one another. Rubus caesius generally has broader middle primocane leaflets than R. ursinus, but that is not a consistent difference. Rubus caesius may have been introduced into the geographic range of R. ursinus; most herbarium specimens surveyed have been inadequate to make a proper determination. On specimen labels, herbarium collectors should describe at least the color of the fruit. In the last decade, R. caesius apparently has become much more aggressive around Ithaca, New York, despite occurring there since the early twentieth century (F. R. Wesley, pers. comm.).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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