Rubus thyrsanthus
Focke
Colorado State University, Charles Maurer Herbarium (CS-)
Conveyor Belt
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The fruit 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.
Red Baneberry: Short herbaceous plant (no thorns), berries on thick red stems, each berry has a single seed, compound sharply-toothed leaves.
Rubus thyrsanthus: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant.
Britain, Europe,
How to Identify
A deciduous shrub growing to 1.5 meters tall with hermaphroditic insect-pollinated flowers. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils with good drainage. Adapts to mildly acidic through mildly alkaline soil pH. Can grow in semi-shade or full sun and prefers moist soil.
How to Grow
Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Very closely related to R. candicans. Plants always produce semi-infertile fruits. 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 requires 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. Cuttings of half-ripe wood can be taken in July or August and rooted in a frame. Tip layer in July and plant out in autumn. 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 can be obtained from the fruit.
Wikipedia
A deciduous shrub growing to 1.5 meters tall with hermaphroditic insect-pollinated flowers. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils with good drainage. Adapts to mildly acidic through mildly alkaline soil pH. Can grow in semi-shade or full sun and prefers moist soil.
Notes
There are about 250 Rubus species.
References (2)
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Syn. rub. Germ. 168. 1877 - an illegitimate, superfluous name (ICBN Art. 52) which included type of Rubus grabowskii
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