Rubus gunnianus

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Rubus gunnianus
Rubus gunnianus.jpg
Photo courtesy of R. Wiltshire
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
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]

Contents

Taxonomy

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.

Description

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]

Distribution of Rubus gunnianus, map from the Atlas of Living Australia Distribution of Rubus gunnianus.jpg
Distribution of Rubus gunnianus, map from the Atlas of Living Australia
Flowers and buds of Rubus gunnianus. Photo courtesy of R. Wiltshire Rubus gunnianus flowers and buds.jpg
Flowers and buds of Rubus gunnianus. Photo courtesy of R. Wiltshire

Distribution and habitat

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.

Rubus gunnianus found at Mt Field, Tasmania. Photo courtesy of R. Wiltshire Rubus gunnianus group.jpg
Rubus gunnianus found at Mt Field, Tasmania. Photo courtesy of R. Wiltshire

Uses

Rubus gunnianus flower. Photo courtesy of R. Wiltshire Rubus gunnianus flower.jpg
Rubus gunnianus flower. Photo courtesy of R. Wiltshire

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.

Conservation status

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.

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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<i>Gaultheria hispida</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Geranium potentilloides</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Pterygopappus</i> Genus of plants

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.

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

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.

<i>Leptospermum rupestre</i> Species of shrub

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.

<i>Gleichenia alpina</i> Species of fern

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.

<i>Gaultheria depressa</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Milligania</i>

Milligania is a genus of native perennial plants containing five species which are all found in Tasmania:

<i>Prionotes</i> Genus of flowering plants

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.

<i>Astelia alpina</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<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>Baeckea gunniana</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Rubus xanthocarpus</i> Species of plant in the family Rosaceae

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.

<i>Rubus queenslandicus</i> Species of plant in the family Rosaceae

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.

<i>Diplaspis cordifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Rubus gunnianus PFAF Plant Database". www.pfaf.org. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  2. 1 2 3 "Key to Tasmanian Dicots". www.utas.edu.au. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  3. Zicha, Ondrej. "BioLib: Biological library". www.biolib.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  4. 1 2 "Early Naturalists in Wellington Park" (PDF). Wellingtonpark.org.au. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  5. "Rubus gunnianus - Useful Tropical Plants". temperate.theferns.info. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  6. "Roses with Other Names". anpsa.org.au. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  7. "Communities". www.understorey-network.org.au. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  8. "Rubus gunnianus - Practical Plants". practicalplants.org. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  9. "Raspberry, raw". Diet and Health. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  10. Bean, Tony (January 1997). "A revision of Rubus subg. Malachobatus (Focke) Focke and Rubus subg. Diemenicus A.R.Bean (Rosaceae) in Australia". Austrobaileya. 5 (1): 39–51 via ResearchGate.