Rubus pensilvanicus

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Rubus pensilvanicus
Rubus pensilvanicus flowers.JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Rubus
Species:
R. pensilvanicus
Binomial name
Rubus pensilvanicus
Poir. 1804
Synonyms [1]
  • Rubus abactusL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus bushiiL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus defectionisFernald
  • Rubus densissimusH.A.Davis & T.Davis
  • Rubus gnarusL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus imparL.H.Bailey

Rubus pensilvanicus, known commonly as Pennsylvania blackberry, is a prickly bramble native to eastern and central North America from Newfoundland south to Georgia, west as far as Ontario, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, and Arkansas. The species is also established as a naturalized plant in California. [2] [3]

Rubus pensilvanicus is a prickly shrub up to 3 meters (10 feet) tall. The canes are green at first but then turn dark red, usually ridged, with copious straight prickles. The leaves are palmately compound, usually bearing 5 or 7 leaflets. The flowers are white with large petals, borne in mid-spring. The fruits are large aggregates of 10-100 black drupelets, somewhat sweet and often used for jams and jellies. [4]

The genetics of Rubus are extremely complex, making it difficult to separate the group into species. What some authors lump together as R. pensilvanicus, other authors split into as many as 50 or 60 species. [4]

Rubuspensilvanicus, finds its home in states including Pennsylvania and New York, as well as, a few patches of distribution in the Midwest including Missouri. [5] This perennial, is a member of the Rubus genus with raspberries and blackberries, stands tall with its thorny canes that deter thin skinned humans and animals from trampling through it. [6] The name "pensilvanicus" alludes to a strong presence in the Keystone State, Pennsylvania.

In the summertime, this plant creates copious white blossoms, later giving way to the blackberries that have earned it culinary and ecological significance. [5]

Description

Rubus pensilvanicus is a 8 foot tall perennial bramble armed with sharp prickles along its stems. [7] The fruit is black to purple in color, fleshy in texture, and edible to humans and wildlife. [8]

The leaf structure of Rubuspensilvanicus is characterized by compound leaves, composed of two or more discrete leaflets. Along the stem, there is a single leaf per node. The leaf blade edges are serrated, featuring distinct teeth. In terms of leaf duration, the leaves either drop off during winter or wither but persist on the plant. Notably, the plant is armed with spines, prickles, or thorns. The dimensions of the leaf blade range from 110 to 220 mm in both length and width. Each leaf possesses a leaf stalk. The fruit, it is of a fleshy nature. The bark of the mature plant is thin and smooth, while the twigs exhibit a winter coloration in shades of brown or gray. The winter buds are characterized by three or more scales, overlapping like shingles, with one edge covered and the other exposed. [8] [9]

This particular species is hermaphroditic, possessing both male and female reproductive organs, with pollination primarily facilitated by insects. [10]

Taxonomy

Rubus pensilvanicus is also known as Rubus abactus a synonym. [5] In 1804 R. pensilvanicus was described by Jean Louis Marie Poiret in Encyclopedie Methodique: Botanique. [11] Some common names include: Blackberry, Dewberry, Pennsylvania Blackberry. [7]

Distribution and habitat

Rubus pensilvanicus can be found in the eastern and central regions of North America, stretching from Newfoundland south to Georgia and reaching westward to Ontario, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, and Arkansas. [12]

The preferred environmental conditions for Rubus pensilvanicus encompass a range of light exposures, thriving in full sun conditions with a requirement of 6 or more hours of direct sunlight per day. Alternatively, it can adapt to partial shade, where direct sunlight is available only part of the day, totaling 2–6 hours. Regarding soil texture, this species demonstrates versatility, showing affinity for clay, high organic matter, loam (silt), and shallow rocky substrates. Its adaptability extends to varying soil pH levels, with a preference for acidic conditions (<6.0), tolerance for alkaline environments (>8.0), and an ability to flourish in neutral pH ranges (6.0-8.0). Moreover, the plant exhibits adaptability to different soil drainage patterns, thriving in settings with good drainage, as well as in moist conditions and occasionally dry soils. This flexibility in light, soil texture, pH, and drainage underscores the resilience and adaptability of Rubus pensilvanicus across diverse environmental settings. [7]

Conservation

Rubus pensilvanicus is apparently secure in Nova Scotia. While other parts of Canada like New Brunswick and Québec it is listed as S3 vulnerable. [13]

Disturbance

Rubus pensilvanicus is an early successional plant that is often found in clear-cuts. Frequent disturbance is necessary for Rubus pensilvanicus to grow and thrive. [14]

Classified as facultative (FAC) by the US National Wetlands Plant list, this plant species is equally likely to thrive in both wetland and non-wetland environments, with an estimated probability ranging from 34% to 66%. [9]

Disease

Phragmidium violaceum is a rust fungus that can infect Rubus pensilvanicus.This fungus is from France and was first reported to infect Rubus pensilvanicus in 2005. [15]

Uses

These blackberries can be used for inks or for dyeing cloths, which is not a new practice. [16] [17] Blackberries are also a good source of nutrients and are eaten dried by Native Americans. [18] Fruits can be made into jams and jellies. [19]

The leaves serve as a browse for white-tailed deer. This bramble is year-round exceptional cover for wildlife.  The fruits are an important resource for songbirds, small mammals, foxes, raccoons, and even black bears. As winter arrives, birds and small mammals eat the seeds left behind from decomposed fruit. The flowers attract butterflies and various other pollinators. [7] [19]

Related Research Articles

<i>Rubus</i> Genus of plants in the rose family

Rubus is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae, with over 1,350 species, commonly known as brambles.

<i>Rubus caesius</i> Species of flowering plant

Rubus caesius is a Eurasian species of dewberry, known as the European dewberry. Like other dewberries, it is a species of flowering plant in the rose family, related to the blackberry and raspberry. It is widely distributed across much of Europe and Asia from Ireland and Portugal as far east as Xinjiang Province in western China. It has also become sparingly naturalized in scattered locations in Argentina, Canada, and the United States.

<i>Rubus saxatilis</i> Species of plant

Rubus saxatilis, or stone bramble, is a species of bramble widespread across Europe and Asia from Iceland and Spain east as far as China. It has also been found in Greenland.

<i>Rubus laciniatus</i> Berry and plant

Rubus laciniatus, the cutleaf evergreen blackberry or evergreen blackberry, is a species of Rubus, native to Eurasia. It is an introduced species in Australia and North America. It has become a weed and invasive species in forested habitats in the United States and Canada, particularly in the Northeast and along the Pacific Coast.

<i>Rubus armeniacus</i> Species of fruit and plant

Rubus armeniacus, the Himalayan blackberry or Armenian blackberry, is a species of Rubus in the blackberry group Rubus subgenus Rubus series Discolores Focke. It is native to Armenia and northern Iran, and widely naturalised elsewhere. Both its scientific name and origin have been the subject of much confusion, with much of the literature referring to it as either Rubus procerus or Rubus discolor, and often mistakenly citing its origin as western European. Flora of North America, published in 2014, considers the taxonomy unsettled, and tentatively uses the older name Rubus bifrons.

<i>Rubus ursinus</i> Berry and plant

Rubus ursinus is a North American species of blackberry or dewberry, known by the common names California blackberry, California dewberry, Douglas berry, Pacific blackberry, Pacific dewberry and trailing blackberry.

<i>Rubus ulmifolius</i> Berry and plant

Rubus ulmifolius is a species of wild blackberry known by the English common name elmleaf blackberry or thornless blackberry and the Spanish common name zarzamora. It is native to Europe and North Africa, and has also become naturalized in parts of the United States, Australia, and southern South America.

<i>Rubus pubescens</i> Berry and plant

Rubus pubescens is a herbaceous perennial widespread across much of Canada and the northern United States, from Alaska to Newfoundland, south as far as Oregon, Colorado, and West Virginia.

<i>Rubus flagellaris</i> Species of shrub

Rubus flagellaris, the northern dewberry, also known as the common dewberry, is a North American species perennial subshrub species of dewberry, in the rose family. This dewberry is distributed across much of Canada, Mexico, and the United States. It grows in diverse habitats ranging from drier savannas to temperate deciduous forests.

<i>Rubus allegheniensis</i> Berry and plant

Rubus allegheniensis is a North American species of highbush blackberry in Section Alleghenienses of the genus Rubus, a member of the rose family. It is the most common and widespread highbush blackberry in eastern and central North America. It is commonly known as Allegheny blackberry.

Rubus aboriginum is a North American species of dewberry, known as the garden dewberry and aboriginal dewberry. Like other dewberries, it is a species of flowering plant in the rose family, related to the blackberry. It is native to the United States and Mexico, primarily in the southern Great Plains.

<i>Rubus invisus</i> Species of flowering plant

Rubus invisus is a species of dewberry, known as upland dewberry. Like other dewberries, it is a species of flowering plant in the rose family, related to the blackberry. It is found in the eastern and east-central United States.

Rubus biformispinus, the pasture dewberry, is an uncommon North American species of flowering plant in the rose family. It is found in eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States.

<i>Rubus elegantulus</i> Berry and plant

Rubus elegantulus, the showy blackberry, is an uncommon North American species of flowering plant in the rose family. It grows in the northeastern and north-central United States and eastern Canada.

Rubus noveboracus is an uncommon North American species of flowering plant in the rose family. It grows in the northeastern and north-central United States and eastern Canada (Québec).

Rubus hypolasius is an uncommon North American species of flowering plant in the rose family. It grows in the east-central United States.

Rubus recurvicaulis is an uncommon North American species of flowering plant in the rose family. It grows in eastern and central Canada and the north-central and northeastern United States.

Rubus rossbergianus is an uncommon North American species of flowering plant in the rose family. It grows in northeastern United States.

Rubus plicatifolius is a North American species of dewberry in the rose family. It is found in eastern and central Canada and in the eastern and central United States.

Rubus roribaccus a North American species of brambles in the rose family, called the Lucretia blackberry. It grows in eastern Canada (Québec) and the eastern and central United States.

References

  1. ↑ "Rubus pensilvanicus". Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh – via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
  2. ↑ "Rubus pensilvanicus". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.
  3. ↑ Calflora taxon report, University of California, Rubus pensilvanicus Poiret, Pennsylvania blackberry
  4. 1 2 Alice, Lawrence A.; Goldman, Douglas H.; Macklin, James A.; Moore, Gerry (2014). "Rubus pensilvanicus". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 9. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  5. 1 2 3 "Rubus pensilvanicus Poir". USDA Plants Database. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  6. ↑ "Rubus pensilvanicus - FNA". floranorthamerica.org. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Rubus pensilvanicus". North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Retrieved 2023-11-09. Common Name(s): Blackberry, Dewberry, Pennsylvania Blackberry
  8. 1 2 "Rubus pensilvanicus (Pennsylvania blackberry)". Go Botany. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  9. 1 2 "Rubus pensilvanicus Poir". Intermountain Region Herbarium Network. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  10. ↑ "Rubus pensilvanicus Pennsylvania blackberry". Plants For A Future. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  11. ↑ "Rubus pensilvanicus Poir". International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  12. ↑ Decade of North American Geology Geologic Map of North America—Perspectives and explanation. Boulder, Colorado: Geological Society of America. 2005. pp. 1–28. doi:10.1130/dnag-csms-v1.1. ISBN   9780813754178.
  13. ↑ "Rubus pensilvanicus Pennsylvania Blackberry". NatureServe Explorer 2.0. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  14. ↑ Unger, Irene M.; Kennedy, Ann C.; Muzika, Rose-Marie (May 2009). "Flooding effects on soil microbial communities". Applied Soil Ecology. 42 (1): 1–8. doi:10.1016/j.apsoil.2009.01.007. ISSN   0929-1393.
  15. ↑ Aime, M. C.; Rossman, A. Y. (November 2007). "First Report of the Rust Phragmidium violaceum on Pennsylvania Blackberry in California". Plant Disease. 91 (11): 1517–1517. doi:10.1094/pdis-91-11-1517c. ISSN   0191-2917.
  16. ↑ Grae, Ida (1974). Nature's colors. Dyes from plants. New York: Macmillan. ISBN   978-0-02-544950-3.
  17. ↑ Candela, Rossella G.; Lazzara, Giuseppe; Piacente, Sonia; Bruno, Maurizio; Cavallaro, Giuseppe; Badalamenti, Natale (2021-10-17). "Conversion of Organic Dyes into Pigments: Extraction of Flavonoids from Blackberries (Rubus ulmifolius) and Stabilization". Molecules. 26 (20). 6278. doi: 10.3390/molecules26206278 . hdl: 10447/525820 . ISSN   1420-3049.
  18. ↑ Ravichandran, Karishma Sri; Krishnaswamy, Kiruba (2021-11-11). "Sustainable food processing of selected North American native berries to support agroforestry". Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 63 (20): 4235–4260. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2021.1999901 . ISSN   1040-8398.
  19. 1 2 "Rubus pensilvanicus". Plants of Southern New Jersey. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
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