Rubus adenophorus — Edible Plant Database

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

The fruit, about 12mm in diameter, can be eaten raw or cooked.

Dangerous Lookalikes

This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.

DEADLY

Red Baneberry

Actaea rubra

SAFE

Xian mao mei

Rubus adenophorus

Red Baneberry: Short herbaceous plant (no thorns), berries on thick red stems, each berry has a single seed, compound sharply-toothed leaves.

Xian mao mei: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.

Where to Find It

It is a warm temperate plant. It grows at low and medium elevations in mountain regions in southern China.

Asia, China,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A shrub. It grows 0.5-2 m tall. The young branches are brownish red. It has prickles which are broad at the base. The leaves often have 3 divisions. The leaf stalk is 5-8 cm long. The flowers are at or near the end of stalks. The fruit is 8-10 mm across.

How to Grow

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. This species is a raspberry with biennial stems. New shoots are produced from the roots each year, these flower and fruit in their second year and then die. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus.

Propagation: Seed requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed needs one month stratification at about 3°c and should be sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out seedlings when large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame, then plant out into permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Division can be done in early spring or just before leaf-fall in autumn.

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Other Uses

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Rubus adenophorus is a species of deciduous shrub in the genus Rubus in the family Rosaceae native to China, where it was discovered in 1907. It is distinctive for its black-headed glands mixed with bristles on the stems.

Notes

There are about 700 Rubus species.

Names & Synonyms

Rubus sagatus Focke

References (4)

Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1910:382. 1910
Flora of China @ efloras.org Volume 9
Lu Lingdi, Boufford, D.E., Rubus. Flora of China.
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/