Rubus trivialis
Rubus pensilvanicus
southern dewberry
Pennsylvania blackberry, ronce de pennsylvanie
biennial, initially low-arching, then falling and creeping (or climbing through other vegetation), glabrous or moderately hairy, sparsely to densely short- to long-stipitate-glandular, not pruinose;
prickles moderate to dense, recurved, sometimes distally slender, 1–4 mm, broad-based;
bristles absent or sparse to dense, erect to retrorse, red to purple, rarely green, slender, weak, gland-tipped.
biennial, erect to arching, glabrous or sparsely to densely hairy, eglandular or sparsely to moderately, rarely densely, sessile- to short-stipitate-glandular, not pruinose;
prickles sparse to dense, erect or slightly retrorse, stout, 4–10 mm, broad-based.
persistent or semipersistent, ternate to palmately compound, lustrous;
stipules filiform, linear, or lanceolate, 2–12(–15) mm;
leaflets 3–5, terminal narrowly elliptic or ovate to obovate, 2–8.5 × 0.7–4.5 cm, base rounded to cuneate, unlobed, margins moderately to coarsely serrate to doubly serrate, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surfaces with hooked prickles on midvein, glabrous or sparsely to moderately hairy, eglandular or sparsely short-stipitate-glandular along central vein.
deciduous, palmately compound, not lustrous;
stipules filiform to narrowly lanceolate, (3–)5–15(–20) mm;
leaflets (3–)5(–7), terminal ovate to lanceolate, 5–15 × 3–13 cm, base rounded to shallowly cordate, unlobed, margins finely to coarsely singly or doubly serrate, apex acuminate to long-attenuate, abaxial surfaces green, usually with retrorse prickles on midveins, moderately hairy, eglandular or sparsely to moderately sessile- to short-stipitate-glandular along veins.
terminal on short shoots, usually appearing axillary, 1(–3)-flowered.
terminal on short shoots, usually appearing axillary, (2–)5–12(–16)-flowered, cymiform, racemiform, or thyrsiform.
prickles and, often, bristles moderate to dense, recurved, moderately to densely hairy, sparsely to moderately sessile- to short-stipitate-glandular.
unarmed or prickles sparse, erect, glabrous or sparsely to densely hairy, eglandular or sparsely to moderately sessile- to short-stipitate-glandular.
bisexual;
petals white to pink, elliptic to obovate, 10–16(–25) mm;
filaments filiform;
ovaries glabrous.
bisexual;
petals white, usually obovate to elliptic, rarely suborbiculate, 8–40 mm;
filaments filiform;
ovaries glabrous.
black, globose to ovoid, 1–1.5(–2) cm;
drupelets 10–50, strongly coherent, separating with torus attached.
black, globose to cylindric, 1–2 cm;
drupelets 10–100, strongly coherent, separating with torus attached.
= 14.
= 14, 21, 28, 35, 36, 42.
Rubus trivialis
Rubus pensilvanicus
Rubus trivialis is distinguished from other species of Rubus by its frequently glandular-bristly and generally creeping stems, abundant recurved prickles, and typically persistent or semipersistent, lustrous primocane leaves with relatively narrow leaflets. Although emerging primocanes typically reach to 30 cm above the ground, vigorous plants can have new primocanes standing erect to 70 cm that later fall to the ground or onto adjacent vegetation as they continue to enlarge. L. H. Bailey (1941–1945) believed that there was no clear separation between members of sect. Persistentes Fernald (referred to by Bailey as sect. Verotriviales [illegitimate sectional name for R. trivialis and associated species]) and sect. Procumbentes (by Bailey as sect. Flagellares; including R. flagellaris and related species). All characteristics that he recognized for distinguishing sect. Persistentes from sect. Procumbentes are often present in the latter, with the exception of hispid-setose stems, and glabrous plants of R. trivialis are difficult to distinguish from some plants of R. flagellaris; to include the latter species within the former would be reasonable.
Rubus ×inferior L. H. Bailey is a putative hybrid of R. trivialis and R. cuneifolius.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
As circumscribed here, Rubus pensilvanicus represents sect. Arguti (L. H. Bailey) L. H. Bailey, in which Bailey (1941–1945) recognized 109 species.
More strongly glandular plants of Rubus pensilvanicus may represent introgression with R. allegheniensis or other species, especially when exhibiting long-stipitate glands. Thyrsiform inflorescences are present in plants that have been called R. missouricus. There are reports (T. S. Mallah 1954; L. V. Clark and M. Jasieniuk 2012; B. Sutherland and L. A. Alice, unpubl.) of R. pensilvanicus hybridizing with R. ursinus.
Rubus pensilvanicus is introduced in California, Idaho, and Washington.
The following nothospecies names are based on putative hybrids involving Rubus pensilvanicus and: R. allegheniensis (R. ×avipes L. H. Bailey, R. ×floricomus Blanchard, R. ×orarius Blanchard); R. canadensis (R. ×amabilis Blanchard [not Focke], R. ×amicalis Blanchard, R. ×elegantulus Blanchard [=R. canadensis var. elegantulus (Blanchard) Farwell], R. ×multilicius L. H. Bailey, R. ×noveboracus L. H. Bailey, R. ×pergratus Blanchard [= R. canadensis var. pergratus (Blanchard) L. H. Bailey], R. ×crux Ashe); R. cuneifolius (R. ×acer L. H. Bailey, R. ×acer var. subacer L. H. Bailey, R. ×argutinus L. H. Bailey, R. ×floridensis L. H. Bailey); R. flagellaris (R. ×akermanii Fernald, R. ×darlingtonii L. H. Bailey, R. ×dissitiflorus Fernald, R. ×hypolasius Fernald, R. ×janssonii L. H. Bailey, R. ×largus L. H. Bailey, R. ×recurvicaulis Blanchard, R. rossbergianus Blanchard); R. setosus (R. ×wisconsinensis L. H. Bailey).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
CA, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
IL Wildflowers, 
KS Wildflowers, 
LA Plants, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
MN Wildflowers, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
