Rubus australis
Forst. f.
Tataramoa, Bush lawyer
(c) Dave Holland, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Dave Holland, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Dave Holland, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Sap
The juicy yellow fruits have an outstanding flavour and can be eaten raw or cooked. The sap can also be extracted and used as a drink.
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.
Tataramoa: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant.
New Zealand*,
How to Identify
An evergreen climbing shrub hardy to UK zone 9, with year-round foliage and hermaphrodite flowers blooming June to July. Insect-pollinated. Tolerates light, medium, and heavy well-drained soils in mildly acid to basic pH. Grows in semi-shade or full sun with moist soil.
How to Grow
Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. This species is not very hardy in Britain but it tolerates light frosts and succeeds outdoors in the mildest parts of the country. The flowers have a sweet perfume. 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 of stratification at around 3°c and should be sown as early in the year as possible. Prick out seedlings once large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame before planting out into permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood can be taken in July or August in a frame. Tip layering in July, planting out in autumn. Division 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. This plant is noted for its scent.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Rubus australis, commonly called swamp lawyer, is a climbing plant species found in New Zealand. Its hooked branches allow it to climb across the ground and into shrubs and trees. R. australis produces yellow- to red-coloured fruit, while small white flowers are produced between October and November. The Māori language name of the plant is tātarāmoa.
Notes
There are about 250 Rubus species.
References (4)
- Crowe, A., 1997, A Field Guide to the Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Penguin. p 16
- Fl. ins. austr. 40. 1786
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Skinner, G. & Brown, C., 1981, Simply Living. A gatherer's guide to New Zealand's fields, forests and shores. Reed. p 35
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