Rubus corchorifolius

Rubus corchorifolius is an Asian species of raspberry native to Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam, and Myanmar. It is an erect shrub up to 3 meters tall with prickly stems. Leaves are simple, with pointed lobes near the base of the blade. Flowers are pink or white. The fruits are red and used to make jams, juice, and wine.

Description

An upright shrub. It grows 1-2 m tall. It develops suckers The young stems are prickly. The small branches are red-brown. The leaves are simple and oval and 3-8 cm long by 2-5 cm wide. They have irregular double teeth. The leaves occasionally have lobes. The flowers are white and occur singly. The fruit is round and red. They are 10-12 mm across.

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and has a delicious, vinous flavour. The red fruits reach up to 12mm in diameter.

Traditional Uses

The ripe fruit are eaten fresh or used for jam and drinks. The young shoots are eaten.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Asia, China, Indochina, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, SE Asia, Vietnam,

Cultivation

Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade. An aggressive plant, it spreads vigorously but may be of value in the wild garden. Succeeds in a woodland garden. This species is a raspberry with biennial stems, it produces a number of new stems each year from the perennial rootstock, these stems fruit in their second year and then die. 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.

Production

In China plants flower in February to April and fruit April to June.

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

Fingerberry

Rubus corchorifolius

(c) 李博恒, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by 李博恒

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

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

Synonyms

Also Known As

Birodo-ichigo, Dum la-bo, Kaiching, Qiong gei, Santtalgi, Shan mei

References (13)

• Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 1421
• Cheng, Z., et al, 2022, Ethnobotanical study on wild edible plants used by Dulong people in northwestern Yunnan, China. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2022) 18:3
• Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 575
• Hu, Shiu-ying, 2005, Food Plants of China. The Chinese University Press. p 456
• Hwang, H., et al, 2013, A Study on the Flora of 15 Islands in the Western Sea of Jeollanamdo Province, Korea. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity Vol. 6, No. 2 281-310

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