Biology:Rubus pensilvanicus
| Rubus pensilvanicus | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Rubus |
| Species: | R. pensilvanicus
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| Binomial name | |
| Rubus pensilvanicus Poir. 1804
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Rubus pensilvanicus, known commonly as Pennsylvania blackberry, is a species of prickly bramble. The perennial shrub grows up to 2.4 metres (8 ft) tall. The leaves have up to seven leaflets. The flowers are white with large petals, borne in mid-spring to summer.
The species is native to eastern and central North America. The fruits are edible and can be made into jams and jellies.
Description
Rubus pensilvanicus is a perennial bramble growing up to 2.4 metres (8 ft) tall. The canes are green at first but then turn dark red, usually ridged, with copious sharp prickles.[2] The bark of the mature plant is thin and smooth, while the twigs exhibit a winter coloration in shades of brown or gray. The winter buds are characterized by three or more scales, overlapping like shingles, with one edge covered and the other exposed.[3][4]
The leaves are palmately compound and usually composed of two to seven discrete leaflets. Along the stem, there is a single leaf per node. The leaf blade edges are serrated, featuring distinct teeth. In terms of leaf duration, the leaves either drop off during winter or wither but persist on the plant. Notably, the plant is armed with spines, prickles, or thorns. The dimensions of the leaf blade range from 11 to 22 centimetres (4 1⁄2 to 8 1⁄2 in) in both length and width. Each leaf possesses a leaf stalk.
The flowers are white with large petals, borne in mid-spring to summer.[5] This particular species is hermaphroditic, possessing both male and female reproductive organs, with pollination primarily facilitated by insects.[6] The fruits are large aggregates of 10–100 black drupelets that are black to purple in color and fleshy in texture.[3][7]
Taxonomy
Rubus pensilvanicus is also known as Rubus abactus a synonym.[5] In 1804 R. pensilvanicus was described by Jean Louis Marie Poiret in Encyclopedie Methodique: Botanique.[8] Some common names include: Blackberry, Dewberry, Pennsylvania Blackberry.[2]
The genetics of Rubus are extremely complex, making it difficult to separate the group into species. What some authors lump together as R. pensilvanicus, other authors split into as many as 50 or 60 species.[7]
Etymology
Distribution and habitat
Rubus pensilvanicus is native to eastern and central North America, stretching from Newfoundland south to Georgia and reaching westward to Ontario, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, and Arkansas.[9][10][11] It is concentraterd in Pennsylvania and New York, with a few patches of distribution in the Midwest.[5]
The preferred environmental conditions for the species encompass a range of light exposures, thriving in full sun conditions with a requirement of 6 or more hours of direct sunlight per day. Alternatively, it can adapt to partial shade, where direct sunlight is available only part of the day, totaling 2–6 hours. Regarding soil texture, this species demonstrates versatility, showing affinity for clay, high organic matter, loam (silt), and shallow rocky substrates. Its adaptability extends to varying soil pH levels, with a preference for acidic conditions (<6.0), tolerance for alkaline environments (>8.0), and an ability to flourish in neutral pH ranges (6.0-8.0). Moreover, the plant exhibits adaptability to different soil drainage patterns, thriving in settings with good drainage, as well as in moist conditions and occasionally dry soils. This flexibility in light, soil texture, pH, and drainage underscores the resilience and adaptability of Rubus pensilvanicus across diverse environmental settings.[2]
Rubus pensilvanicus is an early successional plant that is often found in clear-cuts. Frequent disturbance is necessary for Rubus pensilvanicus to grow and thrive.[12]
Classified as facultative (FAC) by the US National Wetlands Plant list, this plant species is equally likely to thrive in both wetland and non-wetland environments, with an estimated probability ranging from 34% to 66%.[4]
Ecology
Phragmidium violaceum is a rust fungus that can infect Rubus pensilvanicus. This fungus is from France and was first reported to infect R. pensilvanicus in 2005.[13]
Thorny canes deter humans and some animals from trampling through it.[14] The leaves serve as a browse for white-tailed deer. This bramble is year-round exceptional cover for wildlife. The fruits are an important resource for songbirds, small mammals, foxes, raccoons, and even black bears. As winter arrives, birds and small mammals eat the seeds left behind from decomposed fruit. The flowers attract butterflies and various other pollinators.[2][15]
Conservation
Rubus pensilvanicus is apparently secure in Nova Scotia. While other parts of Canada like New Brunswick and Québec it is listed as S3 vulnerable.[16]
Uses
The edible fruits are somewhat sweet and often used for jams and jellies.[3][7][15]
These blackberries can be used for inks or for dyeing cloths, which is not a new practice.[17][18] Blackberries are also a good source of nutrients and are eaten dried by Native Americans.[19] The roots of R. pensilvanicus have historically been used to create a tea used to treat cold symptoms and cure dysentery.[20]
References
- ↑ "Rubus pensilvanicus Poir.". https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30263954-2.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Rubus pensilvanicus". North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rubus-pensilvanicus/. "Common Name(s): Blackberry, Dewberry, Pennsylvania Blackberry"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Rubus pensilvanicus (Pennsylvania blackberry)". https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/rubus/pensilvanicus/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Rubus pensilvanicus Poir.". https://intermountainbiota.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=99083&clid=3402.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Rubus pensilvanicus Poir.". USDA Plants Database. https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=RUPE3.
- ↑ "Rubus pensilvanicus Pennsylvania blackberry". https://pfaf.org/User/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Rubus+pensilvanicus.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Alice, Lawrence A.; Goldman, Douglas H.; Macklin, James A.; Moore, Gerry (2014), "Rubus pensilvanicus", in Flora of North America Editorial Committee, Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA), 9, New York and Oxford, http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242417169
- ↑ "Rubus pensilvanicus Poir.". International Plant Names Index. https://www.ipni.org/n/739040-1.
- ↑ "Rubus pensilvanicus", County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA) (Biota of North America Program (BONAP)), 2014, http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Rubus%20pensilvanicus.png
- ↑ "Calflora taxon report, University of California, Rubus pensilvanicus Poiret, Pennsylvania blackberry". http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=7202.
- ↑ "Perspectives and explanation". Decade of North American Geology: Geologic Map of North America. Boulder, Colorado: Geological Society of America. 2005. pp. 1–28. doi:10.1130/dnag-csms-v1.1. ISBN 9780813754178.
- ↑ Unger, Irene M.; Kennedy, Ann C.; Muzika, Rose-Marie (May 2009). "Flooding effects on soil microbial communities". Applied Soil Ecology 42 (1): 1–8. doi:10.1016/j.apsoil.2009.01.007. ISSN 0929-1393. Bibcode: 2009AppSE..42....1U.
- ↑ Aime, M. C.; Rossman, A. Y. (November 2007). "First Report of the Rust Phragmidium violaceum on Pennsylvania Blackberry in California". Plant Disease 91 (11): 1517. doi:10.1094/pdis-91-11-1517c. ISSN 0191-2917. PMID 30780766. Bibcode: 2007PlDis..91.1517A.
- ↑ "Rubus pensilvanicus - FNA". http://floranorthamerica.org/Rubus_pensilvanicus.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Rubus pensilvanicus". https://www.cumauriceriver.org/botany/Rubus_pensilvanicus.html.
- ↑ "Rubus pensilvanicus Pennsylvania Blackberry". NatureServe Explorer 2.0. https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.961925/Rubus_pensilvanicus.
- ↑ Grae, Ida (1974). Nature's colors. Dyes from plants. New York: Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-02-544950-3.
- ↑ Candela, Rossella G.; Lazzara, Giuseppe; Piacente, Sonia; Bruno, Maurizio; Cavallaro, Giuseppe; Badalamenti, Natale (2021-10-17). "Conversion of Organic Dyes into Pigments: Extraction of Flavonoids from Blackberries (Rubus ulmifolius) and Stabilization". Molecules 26 (20): 6278. doi:10.3390/molecules26206278. ISSN 1420-3049. PMID 34684859.
- ↑ Ravichandran, Karishma Sri; Krishnaswamy, Kiruba (2021-11-11). "Sustainable food processing of selected North American native berries to support agroforestry". Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 63 (20): 4235–4260. doi:10.1080/10408398.2021.1999901. ISSN 1040-8398. PMID 34761993.
- ↑ Fernald, et al. 1958. Edible Plants of Eastern North America. Harper and Row Publishers, New York
External links
- "Rubus pensilvanicus". http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Rubus+pensilvanicus.
- "Rubus pensilvanicus", Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals, including the Consortium of California Herbaria, Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database, https://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Rubus+pensilvanicus
- Rubus pensilvanicus in the CalPhotos photo database, University of California, Berkeley
- Jepson Manual Treatment
- Illinois Wildflowers
- Go Botany, New England Wildflower Society
Wikidata ☰ Q7376219 entry
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