Rubus chroosepalus
Focke
Hairy-sepaled berry
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Shiqi Zhou, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Shiqi Zhou
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Shiqi Zhou, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Shiqi Zhou
Summary
Evergreen shrub growing 0.3 m tall and 1 m wide. Flowers June to July with seeds ripening August to September. Hermaphroditic and insect-pollinated. Hardy to UK zone 6. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage; adapts to mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline pH. Grows in semi-shade or full sun and prefers consistently moist soil.
Description
A straggling herb. The branches are hairy. There are short curved prickles. The leaves are almost round or heart-shaped. They are 6-12 cm long by 6-8 cm wide. There are unequal teeth. The leaves can have shallow lobes. There is a white covering under the leaves. The leaf stalks are 2-4 cm long. The flowers do not have petals. They are in groups at the ends of branches. These are 15-20 cm long. The sepals are purple inside. The fruit are round and black. They are 1 cm across.
Edible Uses
The purplish to black fruit, about 10mm in diameter, can be eaten raw or cooked, though it is considered poor quality.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Distribution
It is a subtropical plant. It is native to central and southern China. It grows on the edges of forests between 300-2,000 m above sea level. In Vietnam it has been recorded at 1,500 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Where It Grows
Asia, China*, Indochina, SE Asia, Vietnam,
Cultivation
Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. Plants are generally evergreen, but are deciduous in colder climates. 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 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 in a frame. Tip layering in July; plant 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.
Notes
There are about 250 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)
Hairy-sepaled berry
Rubus chroosepalus
(c) Shiqi Zhou, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Shiqi Zhou
Red Baneberry: Short herbaceous plant (no thorns), berries on thick red stems, each berry has a single seed, compound sharply-toothed leaves.
Hairy-sepaled berry: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.
Also Known As
Dum dai-cung
References (4)
- Flora of China @ efloras.org Volume 9
- Hooker's Icon. Pl. 20: t. 1952. 1891
- Hu, Shiu-ying, 2005, Food Plants of China. The Chinese University Press. p 456
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
