Northeast Wetland Flora
Field Office Guide to Plant Species
Rubus cuneifolius Pursh
- Family: Rose (Rosaceae)
- Flowering: May-July
- Field Marks: The distinguishing features of this blackberry are its upright or arching, densely prickly stems that are also covered by short, gray hairs.
- Habitat: Dry sandy or rocky soil.
- Habit: Shrub to 3 feet tall.
- Stems: Upright or arching, densely prickly with straight or curved broad-based prickles and covered with short gray hairs.
- Leaves: Alternate; those of the sterile stems divided into 3 or 5 leaflets, the leaflets obovate, abruptly short-pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, toothed, smooth and green on the upper surface, white and downy-hairy on the lower surface, leaf stalks with broad-based prickles; those of the flowering stems divided into 3 leaflets, otherwise similar to the leaves of the sterile stems.
- Flowers: 1-5 at the tips of the branches, up to 1 1/2 inches across, on prickly or non-prickly stalks.
- Sepals: 5, green, attached below to form a cup, lanceolate, 1/4-1/2 inch long.
- Petals: 5, white, free from each other, up to 3/4 inch long.
- Stamens: Numerous.
- Pistils: Numerous, each with a superior ovary.
- Fruits: Many drupelets in a cylindrical cluster up to 1 inch long and up to 1/2 inch across.
- Notes: The fruits are eaten by animals.
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