Rubus cissoides
Rubus cissoides | |
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Leaves and habit of Rubus cissoides | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Rosaceae |
Genus: | Rubus |
Subgenus: | Rubus subg. Micranthobatus |
Species: | R. cissoides
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Binomial name | |
Rubus cissoides A.Cunn.[2] |
Rubus cissoides, commonly called bush lawyer or tātarāmoa in
Taxonomy and Etymology
Rubus cissoides A.Cunn. is in the family Rosaceae. The species was described in 1839 by Alan Cunningham, based on the type specimen collected in 1826 by Cunningham from "dense forests of Whangaroa".[2] The type specimen is lodged at Kew Herbarium (K000762091).[3][4] The epithet cissoides means "ivy like" and is derived from the Greek words kissos (ivy, Cissus) and -oides (likeness). Rubus cissoides is the same genus, Rubus, as the blackberry and raspberry.[5]
In addition to R. cissoides, there are four other endemic species of Rubus in New Zealand, including
Many of the native New Zealand Rubus species, including R. cissoides, are commonly called bush lawyer or tātarāmoa in
Description
Rubus cissoides plants are
Distribution and habitat
Rubus cissoides is endemic to and widespread in New Zealand, and occurs on all three of the main islands: North Island, South Island and Stewart Island.[9] It is found in lowland and montane habitats, often in forests, but also in scrub and wetland margins,[9] often in moist, sunny environments.[12]
Conservation status
Rubus cissoides is considered to be Not Threatened in the most recent assessment (2017–2018) under the New Zealand Threat Classification system for plants.[1]
Life cycle and phenology
In a seed germination experiment, 82% of Rubus cissoides seeds germinated, with some germinating in spring, remaining seeds germinating at a slow, steady rate over two years.[13]
Young plants spread over the forest floor until finding an appropriate shrub or vegetation for support. They can support themselves up to a height of about 60 cm before requiring support in the form of other vegetation.[5]
R. cissoides is insect-pollinated, and it flowers from September to November and fruits from December to April.[9]
Herbivory and diseases
The non-native herbivores, deer and possums, eat small amounts of the foliage or leaf litter of R. cissoides, and possums have been known to eat the berries and flowers of R. cissoides.[14]
The blackberry rust fungus Phragmidium violaceum, appears as black patches on the leaves and can cause mild infections in R. cissoides.[15]
Uses
Rubus cissoides and other native New Zealand Rubus species were used by Māori and continue to have multiple uses, including as food, construction materials, or medicines.[10] The fruits are eaten by birds and people, the branches can be used for making traps, and the crushed berries form a dye which is blue or purple in colour.[12][10] Some of the ways Māori used Rubus plants medicinally include using the bark of the stem to treat abdominal pains, using root bark to treat diarrhea, and preparing crushed leaves to relieve chest congestions and colds.[10]
Gallery
References
- ^ OCLC 1041649797.
- ^ a b Cunningham, Alan (1839). "XXXI. Florae Insularum Novae Zelandiae Precursor; or a specimen of the botany of the islands of New Zealand". Annals of Natural History. ser. 1 vol. 3: 244–250 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
- .
- ^ "Type of Rubus cissoides A.Cunn. on JSTOR". plants.jstor.org. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Dawson, John Wyndham (1 January 1986). "The vines, epiphytes and parasites of New Zealand forests". Tuatara. 28 (2): 44–70.
- ^ "Flora of New Zealand | Taxon Profile | Rubus". www.nzflora.info. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ "Rubus". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-9911509-3-6.
- ^ a b c d e "Rubus cissoides". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "Rubus spp. Tātarāmoa. Bush lawyer". rauropiwhakaoranga.landcareresearch.co.nz. Retrieved 5 November 2022 – via Ngā Rauropi Whakaoranga, Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research.
- ^ "Rubus cissoides A.Cunn". Flora of New Zealand. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Rubus cissoides - Cunn". Plants For A Future. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
- .
- ^ "Comparison of deer and possum diets and the impacts in podocarp-hardwood forest, Waihaha catchment, Pureora conservation park" (PDF). Department of Conservation. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
- ISBN 0-478-09306-3. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
External links
- "Rubus cissoides". Plants for a Future.
- Rubus cissoides occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium
- Media related to Rubus cissoides at Wikimedia Commons