Rubus fruticosus L. is the ambiguous name of a European blackberry species in the genus Rubus (part of the rose family). The name has been interpreted in several ways:
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- The species represented by the type specimen of Rubus fruticosus L., which is also the type specimen of the genus Rubus. [1] This specimen is considered to match the species R. plicatus , in Rubus subgenus Rubus, section Rubus. [2] [3]
- Various species consistent with Carl Linnaeus' original description of the species, which was based on a mixture of specimens now considered to match Rubus ulmifolius [ citation needed ] and R. plicatus
- a species aggregate (group of similar species) Rubus fruticosus agg. (a nomen ambiguum ) that includes most (or rarely all) of a group called Rubus subgenus Rubus [3] (or less often: Rubus section Rubus [sensu latissimo] [4] [5] ):
- in a narrow sense, sometimes separated as the section Glandulosus (alternative name: subsection Hiemales), with about 289 microspecies. [3] In this sense the species aggregate does not include the type of the genus Rubus.
- in a broad sense: (1) (i) sections Glandulosus and Rubus [sensu stricto] (in non-British systems, these two sections are classified together as section Rubus [sensu lato], section Glandulosus being called subsection Hiemales and section Rubus [sensu stricto] being called subsection Rubus) [6] [5] [7] or (ii) "most of" these sections; [8] or (2) sections Glandulosus, Rubus [sensu stricto] and Corylifolii. [3] Section Rubus [sensu stricto] (about 20 microspecies) are probably hybrids involving members of section Glandulosus with either R. idaeus or R. allegheniensis . [3] Section Corylifolii (about 24 microspecies) are probably hybrids involving members of section Glandulosus with R. caesius . [3]
- even more broadly, including all the taxa in the subgenus Rubus [5] [9]
