Rubus vitifolius

Cham. & Schltdl.

Californian blackberry, Pacific blackberry

Rosaceae Edible: Fruit

Has a deadly poisonous lookalike — see comparison below

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Description

A creeping shrub in the Rosaceae family native to temperate regions, producing sweet black fruits. The Californian blackberry is a thornless or less thorny bramble suited to cool climates.

Edible Uses

The black, sweet fruit is eaten fresh.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant.

Where It Grows

North America, USA,

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

Californian blackberry

Rubus vitifolius

Wikimedia Commons - Walter Siegmund

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

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

References (5)

Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
Bocek, B. R., 1984, Ethnobotany of Costanoan Indians, California, Based on Collections by John P. Harrington. Economic Botany 38(2): 240-255
Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 210
Jennings, D.L., 1979, Raspberries and blackberries, in Simmonds, N.W., (ed), Crop Plant Evolution. Longmans. London. p 253
Linnaea 2:10. 1827