Rubus ulmifolius
Rubus chamaemorus
elm-leaf blackberry
baked-apple-berry, chicouté, cloudberry, plaquebière
biennial, erect, then arching, usually moderately, rarely sparsely, hairy hairs stellate, eglandular, strongly pruinose;
prickles absent or sparse to dense, erect to hooked, stout, 3–10 mm, broad-based.
from rhizomes, erect, rarely woody basally, sparsely hairy, sparsely stipitate-glandular distally, not pruinose.
persistent or nearly so, ternate to palmately compound;
stipules filiform to linear, 4–12 mm;
leaflets 3–5, terminal ovate, elliptic, or suborbiculate to obovate, 4–10 × 2–6(–9) cm, base rounded to cuneate, unlobed, margins finely to moderately serrate, apex acute or acuminate to attenuate, abaxial surfaces with hooked prickles on larger veins, densely white short-velutinous, hairs usually minute, eglandular.
deciduous, simple;
stipules broadly ovate to oblong, 3–6 mm;
blade reniform or orbiculate, 2.5–6 × (3–)5–8(–12) cm, base cordate, 3–7-lobed, lobe apices rounded, margins finely doubly serrate or dentate, abaxial surfaces sparsely hairy, sparsely to moderately stipitate-glandular along veins.
terminal, 10–60-flowered, paniculiform or thyrsiform.
1-flowered.
unarmed or prickles moderate to dense, erect to hooked, densely short-hairy, eglandular.
pubescent, sparsely to densely short- to long-stipitate-glandular.
bisexual;
petals usually pink, sometimes white, obovate or elliptic to suborbiculate, 5–12 mm;
filaments filiform;
ovaries apically hairy.
unisexual;
petals white, obovate, (8–)10–15(–18) mm;
filaments filiform;
ovaries glabrous, styles filiform, glabrous.
black, globose to ovoid, 1–1.5 cm;
drupelets 10–40, strongly coherent, separating with torus attached.
golden yellow to orange or reddish, globose, 1.2–1.5 cm;
drupelets (5–)10–20, moderately coherent, separating from torus.
= 14.
= 56.
Rubus ulmifolius
Rubus chamaemorus
Rubus ulmifolius can be distinguished, especially from the closely related R. bifrons and R. vestitus, by its strongly pruinose stems, finely serrate leaflets, and lack of glands throughout. Unlike R. ulmifolius, strongly pruinose native Rubus species lack relatively large and showy pink petals. Some new stems developing from tip-rooting, and early leaves on such stems (especially in shade), are not whitened abaxially and are tomentose. Such unusual stems develop typical leaves and surfaces in parts formed later.
There has been nomenclatural confusion over unarmed plants of Rubus ulmifolius (see E. Monasterio-Huelin and H. E. Weber 1996). Rubus inermis Willdenow is an illegitimate later homonym of R. inermis Pourret, and the type specimens for both names are of poor-quality. If an unarmed variety of R. ulmifolius is to be recognized, such as occurs in California, the name var. anoplothyrsus Sudre should be used instead of var. inermis (Willdenow) Focke.
Rubus ulmifolius is attractive and is potentially weedy but relatively uncommon, found primarily in coastal California from the San Francisco Bay region southward. It probably no longer persists in New Jersey, last collected there in 1897, and it is rare in Nevada and Oregon. Rubus ulmifolius likely hybridizes with R. bifrons where they co-occur; it is one of relatively few diploid and sexually reproducing species of European blackberries.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Rubus chamaemorus is circumboreal; it is presumed to be extirpated from New York, where it was known only from a single population on Long Island, far removed from the next southernmost localities in northern New Hampshire.
Rubus chamaemorus is defined by its unarmed stems, simple, coriaceous, and plicate leaves, unisexual flowers, and golden yellow to reddish fruits. Rubus chamaemorus is likely an ancient allopolyploid (K. V. Ambrose 2006).
The edible fruits of Rubus chamaemorus are highly valued in northern regions for consumption fresh and in yogurt, jams, syrups, and juices. An alcoholic beverage is made from the fruits and sold commercially in Newfoundland, Quebec, and Finland.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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