Rubus floribundus

Botanical Description

Rubus floribundus is a shrub, producing each year a cluster of prickly, biennial stems growing from a woody rootstock; the stems can be up to 450cm long[ 369 Title Flora of Costa Rica Publication Author Standley P.C. Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago Year 1938 ISBN Description Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet. , 504 Title Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 24 Publication Author Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Smithsonian Institute; Washington. Year 1931 ISBN Description A treatment of the edible fruits of Ecuador is jut one of the articles in this publication. It can be downloaded from the internet. ]. The stems only produce leaves, and do not flower, in their first year of growth, forming flowering branches in their second year and then dying after fruiting. The plant is widely harvested from the wild for local use as a food and also as a medicine. It is sometimes cultivated for its fruit in the Andes at an altitudinal range of 2,200 - 3,100 metres, where it is also used to provide a stock-proof barrier[ 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. ].