Rubus armeniacus

Rubus armeniacus
Himalayan blackberry
Himalayan blackberry 5 leaf example
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Rubus
Species:
R. armeniacus
Binomial name
Rubus armeniacus
Focke 1874
Synonyms[1]
  • Rubus hedycarpus subsp. armeniacus (Focke) Erichsen
  • Rubus hedycarpus subsp. armeniacus (Focke) Focke
  • Rubus hedycarpus var. armeniacus (Focke) Focke
  • Rubus macrostemon f. armeniacus (Focke) Sprib.
Himalayan blackberry flower, Bay Area, California. Note spider on bottom petal.

Rubus armeniacus, the Himalayan blackberry[2] or Armenian blackberry, is a species of Rubus in the blackberry group Rubus subgenus Rubus series Discolores (P.J. Müll.) Focke. It is native to Armenia and northern Iran, and widely invasive elsewhere. Both its scientific name and origin have been the subject of much confusion, with much of the literature referring to it as either Rubus procerus or Rubus discolor, and often mistakenly citing its origin as western European.[3][4][5] Flora of North America, published in 2014, considers the taxonomy unsettled, and tentatively uses the older name Rubus bifrons.[6]

In some areas, the plant is cultivated for its berries, but in many areas it is considered a noxious weed and an invasive species.

  1. ^ "Rubus armeniacus". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  2. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Rubus armeniacus​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  3. ^ Ceska, A. (1999). Rubus armeniacus – a correct name for Himalayan Blackberries Botanical Electronic News 230. Available online.
  4. ^ Flora of NW Europe: Rubus armeniacus
  5. ^ University of British Columbia Botany Photo of the Day: July 21, 2005: Rubus armeniacus
  6. ^ Lawrence A. Alice; Douglas H. Goldman; James A. Macklin & Gerry Moore (2014), "Rubus bifrons Vest, Steyermärk. Z. 3: 163. 1821", Flora of North America online, vol. 9