Rubus cissoides

A. Cunn.

Bush lawyer, Tataramoa

Rosaceae Edible: Fruit 3,071 iNaturalist observations

Has a deadly poisonous lookalike — see comparison below

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Summary

Rubus cissoides, commonly called bush lawyer or tātarāmoa in te reo Māori, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, endemic to New Zealand. Alan Cunningham described R. cissoides in 1839. Plants of this species of are perennial scrambling vines with compound leaves with 3-5 leaflets each up to 15 cm long, reddish prickles on the branches, white flowers from September to November and red berries from December to April. The conservation status of R. cissoides is Not Threatened, it is widespread on all three main islands of mainland New Zealand, and it has been used by Māori as food, medicines and construction materials.

Description

A thorny vine. The leaves can be 15 cm long. The fruit are berries. They are edible.

This description is brief — help expand it

Edible Uses

The fruit, about 7mm in diameter, can be eaten raw or cooked. The sap can also be extracted and used raw or cooked.

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Distribution

It grows in forests in New Zealand.

Where It Grows

New Zealand*,

Cultivation

Succeeds in most fertile soils. Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in a sunny position. This species is not very hardy in Britain, it succeeds outdoors only in the mildest areas of the country and even there it requires the protection of a warm sunny wall. A vigorous grower, it can easily swamp nearby plants. Plants are sometimes erroneously labelled as R. australis. The adult and juvenile forms of this plant are quite distinct from each other. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. 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.

DEADLY

Red Baneberry

Actaea rubra

Walter Siegmund (talk)

Safe

Bush lawyer

Rubus cissoides

Red Baneberry: Short herbaceous plant (no thorns), berries on thick red stems, each berry has a single seed, compound sharply-toothed leaves.

Bush lawyer: Thorny woody canes (brambles), aggregate berry made of many drupelets, berries pull easily from receptacle.

References (6)

Ann. Nat. Hist. 3:245. 1839
Brooker, 1986,
Brooker, et al
Crowe, A., 1997, A Field Guide to the Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Penguin. p 16
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/

Show all 6 references