Rubus floribundus

Kunth

Mora

Rosaceae Edible: Fruit 150 iNaturalist observations

Has a deadly poisonous lookalike — see comparison below

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Summary

Rubus floribundus is a South American species of brambles in the rose family. It grows in western South America as far south as Bolivia. Rubus floribundus is a perennial with soft wool and a few curved prickles. Leaves are compound with 3 or 5 stiff leaflets. Flowers are white. Fruits are purple.

Description

A shrub in the Rosaceae family growing to 4.5 m tall with small fruits about 2 cm long. It is native to tropical Andean regions, found between 2,200–3,100 m above sea level, and is sometimes cultivated as hedges.

Edible Uses

The fruits are eaten raw and used to make drinks.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten raw. They are also used for drinks.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

An infusion of the leaves, combined with the leaves of Perezia multiflora, Senecio calvus, Jungia rugosa, Eucalyptus sp., etc, is used in the treatment of coughs and flu.. The young leaves, harvested from the stem apex, are chewed as a treatment for throat pain and inflammation. A traditional treatment for headache due to blood high pressure is to place the plant over burning charcoal - when the leaves are hot they are placed around the head and kept in place until they become cold. An infusion of the flowers is drunk as a treatment for digestive problems

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in the Andes between 2,200-3,100 m above sea level.

Where It Grows

Andes, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, South America*, Venezuela,

Cultivation

It can be grown as hedges.

Propagation

Seed - germinates best if given a period of cold stratification prior to sowing in containers. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°c and is best sown as early as possible in the growing season. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on until large enough to plant out. Cuttings of half-ripe wood in a frame. Tip layering towards the end of the growing season Division just before the plant comes into new growth or as it enters dormancy.

Other Uses

The plants are grown in hedges, where their sharp thorns and intertwined stems act as a strong barrier to larger animals.

Other Information

It is sometimes cultivated.

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

Mora

Rubus floribundus

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

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

Synonyms

Rubus robustus C. Presl

Also Known As

Flora de mora, Mora grande de jugo

References (13)

Castillo, R. O., 1995, Plant Genetic Resources in the Andes: Impact, Conservation, and Management. Crop Science 35:355-360 (As Rubus robustus)
Fern, K., 2012, Tropical Species Database http://theferns.info/tropical/
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 760
Lopez-Diago, D. & Garcia, N., 2021, Wild edible fruits of Colombia. Biota ColomBiana 22 (2) p 49
Mansfield's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops p 426

Show all 13 references

Roa, J. A. G. & Boada, D. S. G., 2018, Fundación para el Fortalecimiento de la Fruticultura y Plantas Alimenticias no Convencionales en Colombia.
Torre, de la, L., et al, 2008, Enciclopedia de las Plantas Útiles del Ecuador. Herbario QCA. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. p 538 (Also as Rubus robustus)
USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN). [Online Database] National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Available: www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/econ.pl (10 April 2000)
F. W. H. A. von Humboldt et al., Nov. gen. sp. 6:173[folio]. 1823; 6:219[quarto], t. 557. 1824
Van den Eynden, V., et al, 2003, Wild Foods from South Ecuador. Economic Botany 57(4): 576-603
Van den Eynden, V., et al, 2004, Regional and ecological variations of wild edible plants in southern Ecuador. Lyonia. 7(2)
Wiersema, J. H. & Leon, B., 2013, World Economic Plants. A Standard Reference CRC Press. 2nd Ed. p 598
World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew