Rubus leucodermis explained

Rubus leucodermis, also called whitebark raspberry, blackcap raspberry,^{[1] [2]} or blue raspberry,^[3] is a species of Rubus native to western North America.

Description

Rubus leucodermis is a deciduous shrub growing to NaNm (-2,147,483,648feet), with prickly shoots.^[4] While the crown is perennial, the canes are biennial, growing vegetatively one year, flowering and fruiting the second, and then dying. As with other dark raspberries, the tips of the first-year canes (primocanes) often grow downward to the soil in the fall, and take root and form tip layers which become new plants. The leaves are pinnate, with five leaflets on the leaves' hardy stems in their first year, and three leaflets on leaves on flowering branchlets with white (and infrequently light purple) flowers.

The fruit is 1- diameter, red to reddish-purple at first, turning dark purple to nearly black when ripe.^[5] The edible fruit^[6] has high contents of anthocyanins and ellagic acid.^[7]

R. leucodermis is similar to the eastern black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis).

Taxonomy

Subdivision

Three varieties are recognized:

• Rubus leucodermis var. leucodermis – Alaska to Chihuahua
• Rubus leucodermis var. bernardinus Jepson – southern California
• Rubus leucodermis var. trinitatis Berger – southern California

Etymology

The name leucodermis means "white skin", referring to the white appearance of the stems because of a thick waxy coating on the surface.

Distribution and habitat

The species can be found from Alaska southward along the Pacific coast as far as California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Chihuahua.^{[8] [9] [10]}

Ecology

The plant forms natural hybrids with other species in subgenus Idaeobatus.

See also

• Rubus coreanus
• Rubus niveus
• Blue raspberry flavor

External links

• • • UC Photos gallery: Rubus leucodermis

Notes and References

1. Web site: Jepson Flora Project: Rubus leucodermis . Jepson Herbaria, University of California at Berkeley. 2012-08-27.
2. Web site: Rubus leucodermis . US Department of Agriculture . 2012-08-27.
3. Web site: Black raspberry. Northcoast Environmental Center. Arcata, California. 1 February 2022. 16 April 2024.
4. Web site: Rubus leucodermis - Torr.&A.Gray. . Plants for a Future . 8 April 2022 . 2022.
5. Book: Pojar, Jim . Andy MacKinnon . Plants Of The Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska . Lone Pine Publishing . 77 . 2004 . 978-1-55105-530-5.
6. Book: Fagan, Damian. Wildflowers of Oregon: A Field Guide to Over 400 Wildflowers, Trees, and Shrubs of the Coast, Cascades, and High Desert. FalconGuides. 2019. 978-1-4930-3633-2. Guilford, CT. 88. 1073035766.
7. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250100437 Flora of North America Rubus leucodermis Douglas ex Torrey & A. Gray, 1840.
8. Web site: Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map .
9. http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Rubus+leucodermis Calflora taxon report, University of California, Rubus leucodermis Torrey & A. Gray, White Stemmed Raspberry, western raspberry, white bark raspberry
10. Web site: Rubus leucodermis . swbiodiversity.org . SEINet, Arizona-New Mexico Chapter.