The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

flowering raspberry, purple flowering raspberry, ronce odorante

stone bramble

Habit Shrubs, 10–20 dm, unarmed. Herbs or subshrubs, to 4 dm, armed or unarmed.
Stems

erect, sparsely to moderately hairy, moderately to densely stipitate-glandular, glands dark purple, not pruinose.

usually creeping, ± woody basally, sparsely to densely hairy, eglandular, not pruinose;

prickles absent or sparse, erect, weak, 1–3 mm, narrow-based.

Leaves

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 free from petioles, lanceolate to ovate or elliptic, 6–11 mm;

petiole 2–11 cm;

petiolule of terminal leaflet 8–20 mm;

lateral leaflet sessile or subsessile;

terminal leaflets ovate to elliptic, 4–8 × 3–7 cm, base tapered, unlobed, lateral leaflets sometimes shallowly lobed, margins coarsely doubly serrate, apex acute, abaxial surfaces unarmed, sparsely hairy, eglandular.

Inflorescences

terminal and axillary, 4–7(–22)-flowered, cymiform to thyrsiform.

axillary, 1–6-flowered, cymiform or umbelliform.

Pedicels

pubescent, moderately to densely stipitate-glandular, glands dark purple.

unarmed or prickles weak, erect, hairy, eglandular or sparsely stipitate-glandular.

Flowers

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 greenish white, narrowly obovate, 5.5–7 mm;

filaments laminar;

ovaries glabrous.

Fruits

pale to dark red, hemispheric, 0.7–1.5 cm;

drupelets 30–60, coherent, separating from torus.

red, globose, 0.5–1.5 cm;

drupelets 1–10, not or weakly coherent, separating with torus attached.

2n

= 14.

= 28.

Rubus odoratus

Rubus saxatilis

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Moist shady sites in deciduous forests, margins of woods, rocky slopes, wooded talus, stream banks, roadsides Birch scrub, talus slopes
Elevation 10–1500 m (0–4900 ft) 1300–2100 m (4300–6900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; CT; DC; DE; GA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; NB; ON; QC [Introduced in Europe]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
Greenland; Eurasia
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Rubus saxatilis is defined by its creeping, unarmed or weakly armed stems, ternate leaves, and relatively small white petals. It has very weak prickles that detach easily, sometimes giving plants an unarmed appearance. The species is known in the flora area from only two sites in southern Greenland (T. W. Böcher 1938; D. B. Jensen and K. D. Christensen 2003).

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 47. FNA vol. 9, p. 52.
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. 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. 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. setosus, R. spectabilis, R. trivialis, R. ulmifolius, R. ursinus, R. vestitus
Synonyms Rubacer odoratum, R. odoratus var. albidus, R. odoratus var. columbianus
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 494. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 494. (1753)
Web links