Rubus procerus

Rubus discolor P.J. Muell

by Katherine Sides, Native Plants Class 2003
Common names: Himalayan blackberry, Himalaya-berry.
Family: Rosaceae
Synonymy: Rubus procerus, Rubus macrostemon, Rubus fruticosus, Rubus thyrsanthus
Etymology: Species name discolor probably comes from the variation of color between the top of the leaves, which are dark green, and leaf bottoms, which are whitish.

Identification
Growth form: Vining shrub to 9.8 ft high.
Roots: Long creeping rhizomes from central crown, broken roots able to form new plants.
Stems: Grooved, prickly, with white curved spines, can either stand up to 9.8 ft high, or creep and trail out 20 to 40 ft in length.
Leaves: Pinnate with 3 to 5 dark green leaflets, unevenly toothed, whitish and hairy beneath, broad and long, narrowing at tips.
Inflorescence/flowers: Flowers to 1¼ in across, white to pink tinged, yellow stamens, 5 petals.
Fruit: Black berries consists of large, succulent, aggregated drupelets, up to 0.8 in long.
Similar species: R. neomexicanus and R. parviflorus var. parvifolius are both thornless, with simple leaves. R. idaeus only grows to 5 ft high, has bright red mature fruit, up to 7 leaflets.

Ecology
Life history: Perennial, with biennial stems.
Native/introduced: Introduced from Western Europe, probably in 1885.
Photosynthetic pathway:
Phenology: Blooms in June/August, fruit ripen in August/September.
Distribution: Common along west coast of U.S., scattered in eastern U.S. Prefers wet areas. In Arizona, grows at up to 6,000 ft elevation, possibly higher, mostly only along Oak Creek and in the Grand Canyon. Reported invasive in 7 states.

Uses
Black edible berries are browsed by wildlife and humans, foliage serves as protective habitat for some species, leaves known to be used medicinally.

References
1. Epple, Anne O., Epple Lewis E. 1995. A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona. The Globe Pequot Press.

2. GardenWeb Glossary of Botanical Terms. 2002. [Online]. Available: http://www.gardenweb.com/. [November 28, 2003].

3. Hoshovsky, M. May 1989. Element Stewardship Abstract For Rubus discolor, (Rubus procerus)

4. The Nature Conservancy. Available: http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/documnts/rubudis.rtf. [November 28, 2003].

5. Kearney, T.H., and R.H. Peebles. 1960. Arizona Flora. University of California Press.

6. Plant Conservation Alliance. 2003. Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas. [Online]. Available: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/index.htm. [November 28, 2003].

7. Tirmenstein, D. October, 1989. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (2003, October). Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/. [November 28, 2003].

8. USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. [November 28, 2003].

Rubus discolor P.J. Muell by Katherine Sides, Native Plants Class 2003 Common names: Himalayan blackberry, Himalaya-berry. Family: Rosaceae Synonymy: Rubus procerus, Rubus macrostemon, Rubus fruticosus, Rubus thyrsanthus Etymology: Species name discolor probably comes from the variation of color between the top of the leaves, which are dark green, and leaf bottoms, which are whitish. Identification Growth form: Vining shrub to 9.8 ft high. Roots: Long creeping rhizomes from central crown, broken roots able to form new plants. Stems: Grooved, prickly, with white curved spines, can either stand up to 9.8 ft high, or creep and trail out 20 to 40 ft in length. Leaves: Pinnate with 3 to 5 dark green leaflets, unevenly toothed, whitish and hairy beneath, broad and long, narrowing at tips. Inflorescence/flowers: Flowers to 1¼ in across, white to pink tinged, yellow stamens, 5 petals. Fruit: Black berries consists of large, succulent, aggregated drupelets, up to 0.8 in long. Similar species: R. neomexicanus and R. parviflorus var. parvifolius are both thornless, with simple leaves. R. idaeus only grows to 5 ft high, has bright red mature fruit, up to 7 leaflets. Ecology Life history: Perennial, with biennial stems. Native/introduced: Introduced from Western Europe, probably in 1885. Photosynthetic pathway: Phenology: Blooms in June/August, fruit ripen in August/September. Distribution: Common along west coast of U.S., scattered in eastern U.S. Prefers wet areas. In Arizona, grows at up to 6,000 ft elevation, possibly higher, mostly only along Oak Creek and in the Grand Canyon. Reported invasive in 7 states. Uses Black edible berries are browsed by wildlife and humans, foliage serves as protective habitat for some species, leaves known to be used medicinally. References 1. Epple, Anne O., Epple Lewis E. 1995. A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona. The Globe Pequot Press. 2. GardenWeb Glossary of Botanical Terms. 2002. [Online]. Available: http://www.gardenweb.com/. [November 28, 2003]. 3. Hoshovsky, M. May 1989. Element Stewardship Abstract For Rubus discolor, (Rubus procerus) 4. The Nature Conservancy. Available: http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/documnts/rubudis.rtf. [November 28, 2003]. 5. Kearney, T.H., and R.H. Peebles. 1960. Arizona Flora. University of California Press. 6. Plant Conservation Alliance. 2003. Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas. [Online]. Available: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/index.htm. [November 28, 2003]. 7. Tirmenstein, D. October, 1989. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (2003, October). Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/. [November 28, 2003]. 8. USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. [November 28, 2003].