Rubus gunnianus | |
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Photo courtesy of R. Wiltshire | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Rosaceae |
Genus: | Rubus |
Subgenus: | R. subg. Diemenicus |
Species: | R. gunnianus |
Binomial name | |
Rubus gunnianus Hook. | |
Rubus gunnianus is a species in the genus Rubus of the family Rosaceae. It is a small herb that grows in subalpine and alpine habitats above 900m throughout Tasmania, [1] and bears edible fruit. It is commonly known as the native strawberry [2] or Tasmanian alpine raspberry. [3]
The name gunnianus comes from the botanist Ronald Campbell Gunn. Gunn worked closely with Ronald Lawrence; who knew British botanist Joseph Hooker. The authority of this species was named after Hooker. [4] Gunn travelled around Tasmania, collecting specimens and sending them back for Hooker's book "Introduction to Flora Tasmaniae". [4] Over 50 Tasmanian plant species gained Gunn's name, but a number of names would have since been changed over the years.
Rubus gunnianus is the smallest of all the species in the family Rosaceae. It grows as a small, prostrate herb in alpine habitats throughout Tasmania. When mature, the plant can spread by sending out runners [5] to make the plant larger, as well as by setting seed. Unlike other species of the genus Rubus, this species does not have any thorns or spines. The leaves grow out from the stem as a florette, and are triangular and glossy green. The palmately compound leaves are composed of three pinnatipartite leaflets (one main one flanked by two smaller ones either side), with very long petioles.
Rubus gunnianus is monoecious (having both male and female organs on the same flower), and the flowers are small, white, with five petals. Members of the family Rosaceae are well known for producing edible fruit, which is suitable for bush tucker. [6]
Rubus gunnianus is found in mountainous areas such as alpine moorlands, and subalpine woodlands across Tasmania, including areas such as the Central Coast, Derwent Valley, Hobart, Huon Valley and the West Coast. [7] It is frost hardy, which is essential to alpine environments, due to the harsh weather and exposed conditions at high altitude. It prefers moist, sheltered areas among mosses and leaf litter, where it can survive the harsh conditions of alpine areas, but it can also survive in semi-exposed areas.
The red, raspberry-looking fruit is edible; [2] and is made up of a few drupes. [8] A purple dye can be made from the fruit juice. [1] Members of the genus Rubus are well known for their nutritional benefits of being high in vitamins and nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron and copper, [9] while being low in sugar. This species is suitable for domestic cultivation, and R. gunnianus may be a good choice for people with limited space to grow plants, because it is quite small and would take up little room. It can also be grown in pots. R. gunnianus requires well drained moist soils, part shade to full sun, and is suitable in a variety of soil types [1] in alpine and subalpine areas.
Rubus gunnianus has not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List, however, it is quite common in alpine habitats throughout Tasmania; therefore no conservation concern is required [10] at present.
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.
The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with woody stems.
Rubus phoenicolasius is an Asian species of raspberry in the rose family, native to China, Japan, and Korea.
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.
Rubus crataegifolius, also called Korean raspberry, is a species of raspberry native to East Asia.
Gaultheria hispida, commonly known as the copperleaf snowberry, is an endemic eudicot of Tasmania, Australia. It is an erect multi-branched shrub, that can be found in wet forests and alpine woodlands. Its berries appear snowy white and leaves are tipped with a copper tinge, hence the common name.
Geranium potentilloides, belongs to the family Geraniaceae, and is a small prostrate perennial herb that can grow up to 60cm high. The species is commonly referred to as Soft Cranesbill or Cinquefoil geranium.
Pterygopappus is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Gnaphalieae within the family Asteraceae. There is only one known species, Pterygopappus lawrencii, which is endemic to alpine Tasmania. It forms thick, light blue/green mats with densely packed leaves. It is most common in the mountains of the northeastern part of the island. It is a slow grower and prefers cool, moist environments.
Rubus nepalensis, the Himalayan creeping bramble or Nepalese raspberry, is a species of evergreen raspberry endemic to Nepal and Himalayan India. It grows to about 1m in diameter, with height up to 20 cm. The fruit is small, edible, and slightly sour.
Leptospermum rupestre, commonly known as alpine tea-tree or prostrate tea-tree, is a flowering shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It is endemic to Tasmania. In alpine areas it assumes a prostrate habit while in subalpine areas it appears as a large shrub.
Gleichenia alpina, commonly known as alpine coral-fern, is a small fern species that occurs in Tasmania and New Zealand. It grows in alpine and subalpine areas with moist soils and is a part of the Gleichrniaceae family.
Gaultheria depressa, commonly known as the mountain snowberry or alpine wax berry, is a small ground-hugging shrub of the heath family Ericaceae native to rocky alpine areas of Tasmania, Australia, and New Zealand.
Milligania is a genus of native perennial plants containing five species which are all found in Tasmania:
Prionotes is a genus of flowering plants endemic to Tasmania, with a single species, Prionotes cerinthoides. Commonly known as climbing heath, it is a temperate rainforest climber or a small scrambling shrub in the mountains. It usually lives in very wet, undisturbed places.
Astelia alpina called pineapple grass, silver astelia, or perching lily is a commonly found species in alpine and subalpine areas of Tasmania and the Australian Alps. It is a perennial herb that typically dominates its environment by growing in dense clusters, called mats, in alpine bogs. There are two subspecies: Astelia alpina var. novae hollandiae from New South Wales and Victoria and Astelia alpina var. alpina endemic to Tasmania. Both subspecies appear very similar to each other. The species was originally described by Robert Brown.
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.
Baeckea gunniana, commonly known as alpine baeckea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to alpine and sub-alpine areas of south-eastern Australia. It is a densely-branched shrub with egg-shaped to oblong leaves and small white flowers with four to six stamens.
Rubus xanthocarpus is a species of flowering plant in the raspberry genus Rubus, family Rosaceae. It is native to central and southern China, and has naturalized in Poland and the former Czechoslovakia. It is available from commercial suppliers. The orange-yellow fruit are edible, taste similar to raspberries, and can be eaten raw or made into preserves or wine.
Rubus queenslandicus, commonly known as bramble-of-the-cape, rose-leaf bramble, or native raspberry, is a plant in the rose family Rosaceae which is endemic to a small part of northeastern Queensland, Australia, where it is found on the margins of highland forest. Prior to 1997, collections of this plant were identified as either R. rosifolius, R. fraxinifolius or R. muelleri/R. probus.
Diplaspis cordifolia is an endemic Tasmanian herb, known commonly as western mountain-pennywort. It is found in alpine vegetation communities across Tasmania, most commonly in the West and South-western areas.