Rubus rosifolius

Botanical Description

Rubus rosifolius is an evergreen shrub producing a cluster of erect to arching or scrambling, prickly, biennial woody stems about 2 metres or moe tall from a woody rootstock. The stems only produce leaves, and do not flower, in their first year, forming flowering branches in their second year and then dying after fruiting[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. ] The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. Selected forms with good quality fruits have been developed, and these are cultivated in several areas of the tropics and subtropics, including India, Japan, Java, the Philippines, southern parts of Russia (with adjacent countries), South Africa and Brazil[ 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 fruit is sold in local markets in the Himalayas[ 146 Title A Manual of Indian Timbers. Publication Author Gamble. J. S. Publisher Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh Year 1972 ISBN - Description First written in the 19th century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader. ]. The plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ]. Rubus rosifolius has escaped from cultivation and become naturalized in many areas of the warm temperate to tropical zones. It can invade the understory of moist and montane forests, especially areas in natural and artificial openings in primary and secondary forests. It is listed as invasive in Brazil, Tanzania, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Hawaii. In St. Lucia and Hawaii, it can completely cover wet open areas and exclude native species. In Brazil, this species invades principally wet and sunny habitats with more than 1,800mm of mean annual precipitation, displacing desirable plants and interfering with passage and use of the land. In Africa, it invades savannah, coastal bush, disturbed grassland, forest margins, roadsides and riverbanks[ 1093 Title Invasive Species Compendium Publication Author Website http://www.cabi.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc). ].