Rubus adenotrichus
Schlecht.
Andean blackberry
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Wikimedia Commons - Dick Culbert
Summary
Source: WikipediaA deciduous shrub reaching 2 m tall. Hermaphrodite flowers are self-fertile and reproduce apomictically. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage. Grows in mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline pH. Adapts to semi-shade or full sun and prefers consistently moist soil.
Description
A shrub. It grows 5 m high. The fruit are oval and 2 cm long. They are purple.
This description is brief — help expand it
Edible Uses
Fruit - raw or cooked. Used to make juices, jellies and desserts. A blackberry, it is well flavoured and of good quality. Usually sour, but sometimes rather sweet. The purple, ellipsoid fruit is up to 2cm long.
Traditional Uses
The fruit are eaten raw. They are used in juice, jellies and desserts. They are also used for making alcoholic drinks. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Distribution
A tropical plant. It suits tropical highland climates.
Where It Grows
Andes, Belize, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico*, Nicaragua, North America, Panama, Peru, South America*, Venezuela,
Cultivation
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. It is often sold in local markets in Colombia. The fruit is inferior to R. glauca but the plant is heavier yielding and more tolerant of different conditions, it has potential for improvement. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. 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 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/August in a frame. Tip layering in July, planting out in autumn. Division can be done in early spring or just before leaf-fall in autumn.
Other Uses
A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit.
Other Information
Fruit are sold in markets. It is cultivated.
Notes
There are about 700 Rubus species.
Dangerous Lookalikes
This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.
Red Baneberry
Actaea rubra
Walter Siegmund (talk)
Andean blackberry
Rubus adenotrichus
Wikimedia Commons - Dick Culbert
Red Baneberry: Short herbaceous plant (no thorns), berries on thick red stems, each berry has a single seed, compound sharply-toothed leaves.
Andean blackberry: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Blackberry, Blanca, Citun, Cituni, Frambuesa, Mora, Mora comun, Mora negra, Mora silvestre, Morash, Zarza, Zarzamora, Zarzamora criolla
References (16)
- Arriaga, M. R. et al, 2014, Catalogue of fruit species in the southeast of the State of Mexico, Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agricolas Vol. 5 Num. 8. pp 1509-1517
- Caballero, J. N., & Mapes, C. S., 1985, Gathering and Subsistence Patterns among the P'urhepecha Indians of Mexico. J. Ethnol. 5(1): 31-47
- Cruz, I. M., et al, 2015, Edible fruits and seeds in the State of Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agricolas. Vol. 6. Num. 2 pp 331-346
- Hellmuth, N. M., 2011, Maya Ethnobotany. Complete Inventory of plants. Associacion FLAAR Mesoamerica. Tenth edition.
- Kapelle, M., et al, 2000, Useful plants within a Campesino Community in a Costa Rican Montane Cloud Forest. Mountain Research and Development, 20(2): 162-171
Show all 16 references Hide references
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 758
- Kew Plants of the World Online
- Lopez-Diago, D. & Garcia, N., 2021, Wild edible fruits of Colombia. Biota ColomBiana 22 (2) p 49
- Martin, F. W., et al, 1987, Perennial Edible Fruits of the Tropics. USDA Handbook 642 p 54
- Marshall, E. and Newton, A. C., 2003, Non-Timber Forest Products in the Community of El Terrero, Sierra de Manantlan Biosphere Reserve, Mexico: Is Their Use Sustainable? Economic Botany 57(2):262-278
- Piedra-Malagón, E. M., et al, 2022, Edible native plants of the Gulf of Mexico Province. Biodiversity Data Journal 10: e80565 p 28
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Roa, J. A. G. & Boada, D. S. G., 2018, Fundación para el Fortalecimiento de la Fruticultura y Plantas Alimenticias no Convencionales en Colombia.
- Segura, S., et al, 2018, The edible fruit species in Mexico. Genet Resour Crop Evol (2018) 65:1767–1793
- Torre, de la, L., et al, 2008, Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del Ecuador. Herbario QCA. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. p 537
- Turreira-Garcia, N., et al, 2015, Wild edible plant knowledge, distribution and transmission: a case study of the Achi Mayans of Guatemala. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 11:52
