Rubus apetalus
Poir.
(c) Charles Stirton, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Charles Stirton
(c) Charles Stirton, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Charles Stirton
(c) Charles Stirton, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Charles Stirton
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
Fruit - raw. Eaten as a snack, they are much liked by people of all ages. Both jam and juice can also be made from the ripe fruits. The purple-black, compound fruit is up to 15mm long, made up of more than 40 single-seeded, small, fleshy drupes.
Dangerous Lookalikes
This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.
Red Baneberry: Short herbaceous plant (no thorns), berries on thick red stems, each berry has a single seed, compound sharply-toothed leaves.
Rubus apetalus: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. It grows in hilly and mountain regions near forests in West Africa. It grows along the edges of forests. In Kenya it grows between 1,450-2,700 m altitude.
Africa, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A scrambling shrub. It grows 1.5 m high. The flowering branches have a few yellow or white hairs. The prickles are slender and curved. The leaves are 7-16 cm long by 6-13 cm wide. They have teeth along the edge. The fruit are round and 0.5-0.8 cm long. They are purplish-black. They are edible when ripe.
How to Grow
It can be used as a hedge. Plants can be grow by seeds or suckers.
Propagation: Seed - germinates best if given a period of cold stratification prior to sowing in containers. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°c and is best sown as early as possible in the growing season. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on until large enough to plant out. Cuttings of half-ripe wood in a frame. Tip layering towards the end of the growing season Division just before the plant comes into new growth or as it enters dormancy.
Medicinal Uses
The ripe fruits are boiled in water, stirred and filtered. Sugar is added and the liquid drunk to treat anaemia. An infusion of the leaves is used for treating diabetes.
Other Uses
The plant is sometimes grown as a boundary marker. Its hooked prickles will help to deter unwanted guests.
Production
Ripe fruit are collected during the rainy season.
Other Information
The fruit are enjoyed by children and all ages.
Notes
There are about 250 Rubus species.
Names & Synonyms
Amakerre, Enjori, Ewandwandwa, Gora, Gormach, Gorra, Injera, Kaa, Kaliwa-bangwe, Komora, Kuamangongo, Luemya, Lukelele, Lumwino, Mashawa, Olayakuji, Sak "b", Voaroy fotsy, Worichu go'ra, Yedega-enjori
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