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

southern dewberry

bristly blackberry, ronce sétuleuse, setose blackberry

Habit Shrubs, to 3(–7) dm, sometimes climbing higher through other vegetation, moderately to densely armed. Shrubs, 2–10(–15) dm, armed.
Stems

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, rarely creeping, not node- or tip-rooting, sparsely to moderately hairy, sparsely to densely long-, rarely short-stipitate-glandular, glands rounded to flattened, not pruinose;

prickles absent or sparsely to moderately dense, erect to retrorse, weak, slender, 1–3(–5) mm, narrow-based;

bristles sparse to dense, erect to retrorse, green to reddish, narrow, semirigid, sometimes flexible, not gland-tipped.

Leaves

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, ternate or palmately compound, sometimes ± lustrous;

stipules filiform to lanceolate, 5–20(–38) mm;

leaflets (3–)5, terminal obovate or elliptic to rhombic, 4.5–11.5 × 2–7 cm, base cuneate to narrowly rounded, unlobed, margins moderately, coarsely serrate to doubly serrate or serrate-dentate, apex acute or acuminate to short-attenuate, abaxial surfaces unarmed or with bristles on midvein, sparsely to moderately hairy, eglandular or sparsely to moderately sessile- to long-stipitate-glandular along larger veins.

Inflorescences

terminal on short shoots, usually appearing axillary, 1(–3)-flowered.

terminal on short shoots, sometimes appearing axillary, 5–15(–20)-flowered, racemiform, cymiform, or thyrsiform.

Pedicels

prickles and, often, bristles moderate to dense, recurved, moderately to densely hairy, sparsely to moderately sessile- to short-stipitate-glandular.

prickles or bristles sparse to dense, erect to retrorse, moderately to densely hairy, moderately to densely stipitate-glandular.

Flowers

bisexual;

petals white to pink, elliptic to obovate, 10–16(–25) mm;

filaments filiform;

ovaries glabrous.

bisexual;

petals white, obovate to oblanceolate, 6–13 mm;

filaments filiform;

ovaries glabrous.

Fruits

black, globose to ovoid, 1–1.5(–2) cm;

drupelets 10–50, strongly coherent, separating with torus attached.

black, globose, 0.7–1.5 cm;

drupelets 5–25, strongly coherent, separating with torus attached.

2n

= 14.

= 14, 21, 28, 35.

Rubus trivialis

Rubus setosus

Phenology Flowering Jan–Jun. Flowering Jun–Jul(–Aug).
Habitat Open woodlands, savannas, prairies, meadows, sand dunes, disturbed areas, dry to seasonally wet soil Open woodlands, savannas, prairies, meadows, disturbed areas, dry to wet soil
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft) 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IL; KS; KY; LA; MO; MS; NC; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; DC; DE; IA; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Rubus setosus is identified by erect to arching, rarely creeping, not tip-rooting, terete primocanes, always setose but variable in density, and deciduous primocane leaves that are often palmately compound with five leaflets. Cultivated plants sometimes alternate from erect to creeping (or vice-versa) in successive years, depending on changing soil conditions.

The following nothospecies names are based on putative hybrids involving Rubus setosus and: R. allegheniensis (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); R. canadensis (R. ×miscix L. H. Bailey [based on R. ×peculiaris Blanchard (not R. peculiaris Sampaio)]); R. flagellaris (R. ×alter L. H. Bailey, R. ×arcuans Fernald & H. St. John, R. ×biformispinus Blanchard, R. ×bigelovianus L. H. Bailey, R. ×bracteolifer Fernald, R. ×jacens Blanchard var. specialis L. H. Bailey, R. ×laevior (L. H. Bailey) Fernald [based on R. permixtus var. laevior L. H. Bailey], R. ×multiformis Blanchard, R. ×setospinosus L. H. Bailey, R. ×severus Brainerd ex Fernald); R. hispidus (R. ×adjacens Fernald, R. ×grandidens L. H. Bailey, R. ×harmonicus L. H. Bailey, R. ×jacens Blanchard, R. ×parlinii L. H. Bailey, R. ×spiculosus Fernald, R. ×tardatus Blanchard, R. ×tholiformis Fernald, R. ×trifrons Blanchard, R. ×zaplutus L. H. Bailey); R. pensilvanicus (R. ×wisconsinensis L. H. Bailey).

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 54. FNA vol. 9, p. 53.
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. odoratus, R. parviflorus, R. parvifolius, R. pascuus, R. pedatus, R. pensilvanicus, R. phoenicolasius, R. pubescens, R. repens, R. saxatilis, R. setosus, R. spectabilis, 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. saxatilis, R. spectabilis, R. trivialis, R. ulmifolius, R. ursinus, R. vestitus
Synonyms R. agilis, R. continentalis, R. duplaris, R. ictus, R. lucidus, R. macvaughii, R. mirus, R. nessianus, R. riograndis, R. rubrisetus, R. sons, R. tallahasseanus R. apparatus, R. beatus, R. benneri, R. bicknellii, R. boottianus, R. condignus, R. deaneanus, R. discretus, R. dissensus, R. dissimilis, R. electus, R. exter, R. fulleri, R. groutianus, R. gulosus, R. hispidoides, R. hispidus var. suberectus, R. jejunus, R. junceus, R. junior, R. lawrencei, R. mediocris, R. navus, R. nocivus, R. notatus, R. ortivus, R. perinvisus, R. racemiger, R. regionalis, R. reravus, R. rotundior, R. schneideri, R. semisetosus, R. spectatus, R. stipulatus, R. uniformis, R. univocus, R. vermontanus, R. viridifrons, R. wheeleri
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 296. (1803) Bigelow: Fl. Boston. ed. 2, 198. (1824)
Web links