Rubus flagellaris

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Rubus flagellaris
Rubus flagellaris UGA1120430.jpg
Berries and leaves
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. flagellaris
Binomial name
Rubus flagellaris
Synonyms [1]
Synonymy
  • Rubus alacerL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus arundelanusBlanch.
  • Rubus ascendensBlanch.
  • Rubus asheiL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus bonusL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus camurusL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus clauseniiL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus connixusL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus cordialisL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus dissitiflorusFernald
  • Rubus ensleniiTratt.
  • Rubus exemptusL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus flagellaris var. roseoplenusE.J. Palmer & Steyerm.
  • Rubus frustratusL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus geophilusBlanch.
  • Rubus jaysmithii var. angustiorL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus jeckylianusBlanch.
  • Rubus longipesFernald
  • Rubus malteiL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus neonefrensL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus occultusL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus procumbensW.C.Barton
  • Rubus procumbensMuhl.
  • Rubus sailoriL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus serenusL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus subuniflorusRydb.
  • Rubus tetricusL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus tracyiL.H.Bailey
  • Rubus villosusL.H.Bailey
Flowers Rubus flagellaris - Dewberry.jpg
Flowers

Rubus flagellaris, the northern dewberry, [2] also known as the common dewberry, [3] 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. [2] It grows in diverse habitats ranging from drier savannas to temperate deciduous forests.

Contents

Description

Rubus flagellaris has low-growing stems that range from 8–15 feet (2.4–4.6 m) long, and flowering stems that can grow up to 4 feet (1.2 m) in height. It can grow as a woody vine or low growing shrub. The young stems are green with a scattered arrangement of hairy prickles. The old stems are brown, woody and have hard prickles in comparison to the young stem. Sometimes the tips of the young stems root into the ground and form vegetative offsets. [3] [4]

The species has its most active growth from mid-spring to early summer. The roots of the northern dewberry consist of a woody taproot. [3] [4]

The plant has an alternate, compound leaf arrangement, with mostly three, but sometimes five leaflets per leaf. The margins of the leaves are serrated and the leaves show a palmate venation. [5] Each leaflet is ovate, approximately three inches (75 mm) long and one inch (25 mm) wide. The leaflets are green on top, but pale green on the underside. [3] One leaflet of a set is connected by a petiole to the stem while the other leaflets in the set are connected to that terminal leaflet. [4]

The plant produces a five-petaled white flower, each flower about one inch (25 mm) in diameter with five petals. [5] The flowers exhibit a terminal inflorescence with one to five flowers per young stem. [6] The flowers are hermaphrodites and have both female and male sex organs. [7] There are five sepals, green in appearance, lanceolate in shape. The ovaries exhibit a superior position relative to the sepals and petals. Several stamen surround a cluster of carpels. [3] The flowers would then open up at daytime, but close up at nighttime. [3] [4]

Once the flowers of the northern dewberry are fertilized, drupes soon grow and replace each flower. [3] The drupes are a dark-purplish color and range from ½ inch to one inch in diameter. [3] [5] Once the fruit has fully ripened it has a tart-sweet flavor. [3] [4]

Distribution and habitat

Rubus flagellaris is native to the central and eastern United States (from Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska to the Gulf and East Coasts and the Great Lakes region), eastern Canada (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia) and northern Mexico (Coahuila, Hidalgo, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora). [2] [4] [8]

Rubus flagellaris grows on dry soils, bogs, soft soils and wooded soils. [6] This species is actually especially adapted to coarse textured soils (such as sandy soils), fine textured soils (such as loamy soils) and medium textured soils (such as clay-textured soils). [2] R. flagellaris grows in a wide range of habitats including mesic to dry savannas and sandy savannas, abandoned fields, meadows in wooded areas, and woodland borders. [3] [4]

Rubus flagellaris is adapted to a precipitation zone that ranges from 15 to 40 inches/year, tolerates soils ranging from 5.0 to 7.0 pH, and can survive temperatures as low as −23 °F (−31 °C). This species has a low tolerance to drought conditions and an intermediate shade tolerance, when compared to other species with similar growth habits in its natural regions. The plant has no salinity tolerance. [2]

Ecology

Many animals such as raccoons, fox squirrels, eastern chipmunks, white-footed mice, and other mammals eat the northern dewberry's fruits, and aid in the dispersal of the shrub. [3] The plant has a high tolerance to hedging from livestock or wildlife browsing. [2]

The flowers of Rubus flagellaris, with a fragrant nectar, attract a large number of native bees. They also provide nesting materials and structures for the native bees. [9] Some of the bee species that interact with the plant and pollinate the flowers are mason bees (of the genus Osmia), leaf-cutting bees, cuckoo bees (of the subfamily Nomadinae), and miner bees. [3] Other insects that interact with the northern dewberry to help pollinate it are Siphonopora rubi (blackberry aphid), Metallus rubi (blackberry leafminer), Agrilus ruficollis (red-necked cane borer), and Edwardsiana rosae (rose leafhopper). [3]

The flowers are also a preferred source of nectar for the Karner blue, an endangered species of blue butterfly found in the Midwestern U.S. and northeastern North America. [10]

When occasional wildfires burn down tall woody trees surrounding Rubus flagellaris, the resulting burning has a positive effect on population growth for the species. [3] Other research has also shown that occasional wildfires are beneficial to the population's growth. [11]

Uses

The ripe berries are edible and can be eaten raw. They are also used to make preserves, pies, and cobblers. [12]

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bramble</span> Grouping of plants

A bramble is any rough, tangled, prickly shrub, usually in the genus Rubus, which grows blackberries, raspberries, or dewberries. "Bramble" is also used to describe other prickly shrubs, such as roses. The fruits include blackberries, arctic brambleberries, or raspberries, depending on the species, and are used to make jellies, jams, and preserves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dewberry</span> Type of black berry

The dewberries are a group of species in the genus Rubus, section Rubus, closely related to the blackberries. They are small trailing brambles with aggregate fruits, reminiscent of the raspberry, but are usually purple to black instead of red. Alternatively, they are sometimes referred to as ground berries.

<i>Robinia pseudoacacia</i> Species of tree native to North America

Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known in its native territory as black locust, is a medium-sized hardwood deciduous tree, belonging to the tribe Robinieae of the legume family Fabaceae. It is endemic to a few small areas of the United States, but it has been widely planted and naturalized elsewhere in temperate North America, Europe, Southern Africa and Asia and is considered an invasive species in some areas. Another common name is false acacia, a literal translation of the specific name.

<i>Rubus spectabilis</i> Plant species

Rubus spectabilis, the salmonberry, is a species of bramble in the rose family Rosaceae, native to the west coast of North America from west-central Alaska to California, inland as far as Idaho. Like many other species in the genus Rubus, the salmonberry plant bears edible fruit, typically yellow-orange or red in color, resembling raspberries in appearance.

<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 parviflorus</i> Berry and plant

Rubus parviflorus, commonly called thimbleberry, is a species of Rubus native to northern temperate regions of North America. The plant has large hairy leaves and no thorns. It bears edible red fruit similar in appearance to a raspberry, but shorter, almost hemispherical. It has not been commercially developed for the retail berry market, but is cultivated for landscapes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karner blue</span> Endangered species of butterfly in northeastern United States

The Karner blue is an endangered species of small blue butterfly found in some Great Lakes states, small areas of New Jersey, the Capital District region of New York, and southern New Hampshire in the United States. The butterfly, whose life cycle depends on the wild blue lupine flower, was classified as an endangered species in the United States in 1992.

This page provides a glossary of plant morphology. Botanists and other biologists who study plant morphology use a number of different terms to classify and identify plant organs and parts that can be observed using no more than a handheld magnifying lens. This page provides help in understanding the numerous other pages describing plants by their various taxa. The accompanying page—Plant morphology—provides an overview of the science of the external form of plants. There is also an alphabetical list: Glossary of botanical terms. In contrast, this page deals with botanical terms in a systematic manner, with some illustrations, and organized by plant anatomy and function in plant physiology.

<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>Agrimonia parviflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Agrimonia parviflora is a species of perennial herbaceous flowering plant. Small-flowered agrimony, harvestlice agrimony, swamp agrimony, and harvestlice are its most common names in the United States.

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

Rubus cissoides, commonly called bush lawyer or tātarāmoa in te reo Māori, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, endemic to New Zealand. Alan Cunningham described R. cissoides in 1839. Plants of this species of are perennial scrambling vines with compound leaves with 3-5 leaflets each up to 15 cm long, reddish prickles on the branches, white flowers from September to November and red berries from December to April. The conservation status of R. cissoides is Not Threatened, it is widespread on all three main islands of mainland New Zealand, and it has been used by Māori as food, medicines and construction materials.

<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 argutus</i> Species of fruit and plant

Rubus argutus is a North American species of prickly bramble in the rose family. It is a perennial plant native to the eastern and south-central United States. Common names are sawtooth blackberry or tall blackberry after its high growth.

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 trivialis</i> Berry and plant

Rubus trivialis, commonly known as southern dewberry, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family (Rosaceae) native to the southern United States and northern Mexico. It is distinguished from northern dewberry by its hispid stems. It is a perennial herb and blooms March to April.

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.

Rubus cubitans, the sprawling dewberry, is a rare North American species of flowering plant in the rose family. It has been found only in the State of Vermont in the northeastern United States.

<i>Rubus tricolor</i> Species of evergreen prostrate shrub native to southwestern China

Rubus tricolor is an evergreen prostrate shrub, native to southwestern China. Leaves are dark green above, pale green below, and stems have red bristles. It has white flowers in summer and edible red fruit. It grows approximately 0.3 m (0.98 ft) high and usually forming a vigorously spreading, dense mat. In cultivation, it is mainly used as groundcover. Common names include Chinese bramble, groundcover bramble, creeping bramble, Korean raspberry, Himalayan bramble, and groundcover raspberry. In Chinese, it is called 三色莓.

<i>Rosa setigera</i> Species of shrub

Rosa setigera, commonly known as the climbing rose, the prairie rose, or the climbing wild rose, is a shrub or vine in the Rosaceae (rose) family native to central and eastern North America.

References

  1. The Plant List, Rubus flagellaris Willd.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Natural Resources Conservation Service. "Rubus flagellaris Willd. − northern dewberry". Plants Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Hilty, John. "Common Dewberry". Wildflowers of Illinois in Savannas & Thickets. Retrieved April 29, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Flora of North America, Rubus flagellaris Willdenow, 1809. Northern dewberry, ronce à flagelles
  5. 1 2 3 Seiler, John; Jensen, Edward; Niemiera, Alex; Peterson, John (2011). "dewberry Rosaceae Rubus flagellaris Willd". Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Family Rosaceae Rubus flagellaris Willd". Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  7. "Rubus flagellaris - Willd". Plants for a Future. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  8. Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  9. ‘’Lary Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’’, Rubus flagellaris Willd, April 30, 2012
  10. Grundel, Ralph; Pavlovic, Noel B.; Sulzman, Christina L (2000). "Nectar plant selection by the Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore". The American Midland Naturalist. 144 (1): 1–10. doi:10.1674/0003-0031(2000)144[0001:NPSBTK]2.0.CO;2. ISSN   0003-0031. JSTOR   3083005.
  11. Taft, John B. (December 2005). "Fire Effects on Structure, Composition, and Diversity in a South-Central Illinois Flatwoods Remnant". Castanea. 70 (4): 298–313. doi:10.2179/0008-7475(2005)070[0298:FEOSCA]2.0.CO;2. ISSN   0008-7475. JSTOR   4034296.
  12. "Wild Harvest: Texas' Bounty of Native Fruits|| TPW magazine|August/September 2013". tpwmagazine.com. Retrieved 2019-03-06.