Rubus niveus
Thunberg
Mysore Black raspberry
(c) Troos van der Merwe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Troos van der Merwe
(c) Sítio Tangará, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sítio Tangará
(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked in pies and preserves. Small in size, up to 12mm in diameter, it is juicy with a sweet, rich black-raspberry flavour and is of excellent dessert quality. The fruit is very soft and should be eaten within 24 hours of picking, as it will begin to decay after that. Average annual yields from a bush covering 2.5m² in the Himalayas are 657g. The fruit contains approximately 7.8% sugars, 0.13% protein, and 0.77% ash.
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.
Mysore Black raspberry: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. They are abundant in areas of shrub from 1300 to 1600 m. They occur in Bontoc and Benguet, Mountain Province in the Philippines. In China it grows between 500-2800 m altitude on slopes and mountain valleys in S China. In Zimbabwe it grows between 1,260-1,890 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan. It occurs in the Western Ghats in India.
Afghanistan, Africa, Asia, Bhutan, Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Kashmir, Kenya, Laos, Malawi, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, SE Asia, Sikkim, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Thailand, Tibet, USA, Vietnam, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A very spiny scrambling shrub. It grows 1-2.5 m tall. Branches are purple or green. The leaves have 5 to 9 leaflets along the leaf stalk. The edges are toothed and the lower surface is whitish. The fruit occur in clusters near the ends of branches. They change from dark red to black at maturity. They are 0.8-1.2 cm across. They have a good flavour.
Nutrition Score: 19/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | 85 | — | — | 1.2 | — | 19.9 | 1.2 | — |
How to Grow
Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Not very hardy outdoors in Britain, but selected provenances should succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country. Occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit in Asia, there is at least one named variety. 'Mysore' is a form suitable for sub-tropical areas, it has mild but nice flavoured fruit with small seeds. 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, then plant 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 layer in July and plant out in autumn. Divide in early spring or just before leaf-fall in autumn.
Medicinal Uses
None known
Other Uses
A purple to dull blue dye can be obtained from the fruit.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Rubus niveus (Mysore raspberry, Ceylon raspberry and Hill raspberry) is a species of Rubus. The native range of this scrambling shrub stretches from Afghanistan to central China, down to Java and Indo-China . It grows primarily in temperate regions.
Other Information
It is cultivated.
Notes
There are about 250 Rubus species.
Names & Synonyms
Aakhe, Ainselu, Ancha, Balloo, Beri, Bla-mrep, Ceylon raspberry, Dum tuyet, Gowriphal, Gunacha, Hill raspberry, Hmu-pa, Hong pao ci teng, Hongpai, Huftoo, Kala hinure, Kala hisalu, Kalianchhi, Kali hinsar, Kalo ainselu, Kalo aselu, Kandiari, Karer, Katrya anselu, Kiblupum, Lal aakhre, Leogala, Mbolin-momoniyl, Pilai, Tu-lu-tse-gong, Woolly-berried bramble, Yokpo pongkung, Yongde
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