Rubus spectabilis

Botanical Description

Rubus spectabilis is a deciduous shrub producing a cluster of erect to arching, usually prickly, biennial stems 100 - 400cm tall from a woody rootstock. The stems bear leaves only in their first year, forming flower-bearing branches in their second yea of growth and dying after fruiting. Spreading by means of rhizomes, the plant frequently forms dense thickets[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. , 1050 Title Fire Effects Information System Publication Author Website http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, and sometimes also as a medicine. It is occasionally cultivated in N. America, and also sometimes in Europe, for its large edible fruits and, owing to its conspicuous pink flowers, is also grown as an ornamental shrub[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ]. The plant has sometimes escaped from cultivation and it has become locally naturalized in parts of western and central Europe[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ].