Rubus ulmifolius
Rubus odoratus
elm-leaf blackberry
flowering raspberry, purple flowering raspberry, ronce odorante
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.
erect, sparsely to moderately hairy, moderately to densely stipitate-glandular, glands dark purple, 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 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.
terminal, 10–60-flowered, paniculiform or thyrsiform.
terminal and axillary, 4–7(–22)-flowered, cymiform to thyrsiform.
unarmed or prickles moderate to dense, erect to hooked, densely short-hairy, eglandular.
pubescent, moderately to densely stipitate-glandular, glands dark purple.
bisexual;
petals usually pink, sometimes white, obovate or elliptic to suborbiculate, 5–12 mm;
filaments filiform;
ovaries apically hairy.
bisexual;
petals usually magenta, rarely white, broadly obovate to suborbiculate, (12–)17–25(–30) mm;
filaments filiform;
ovaries distally densely hairy, styles clavate, glabrous.
black, globose to ovoid, 1–1.5 cm;
drupelets 10–40, strongly coherent, separating with torus attached.
pale to dark red, hemispheric, 0.7–1.5 cm;
drupelets 30–60, coherent, separating from torus.
= 14.
= 14.
Rubus ulmifolius
Rubus odoratus
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 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.)
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