Rubus parviflorus

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with Rubus spectabilis, also called salmonberry, or Rubus occidentalis, Rubus odoratus or Rubus rosifolius, also called thimbleberry.

Thimbleberry

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Rubus
Subgenus: Rubus subg. Anoplobatus
Species:
R. parviflorus
Binomial name
Rubus parviflorus
Nutt. 1818
Synonyms[1]
Synonymy
  • Bossekia nutkana Greene
  • Bossekia parviflora (Nutt.) Greene
  • Rubacer parviflorum (Nutt.) Rydb.
  • Rubus natkanus G.Don
  • Rubus nutkanus Moc. ex Ser.
  • Rubus nutkanus var. nuttallii Torr. & A.Gray
  • Rubus nutkanus var. parviflorus (Nutt.) Focke
  • Rubus parviflorus var. bifarius Fernald
  • Rubus parviflorus var. grandiflorus Farw.
  • Rubus parviflorus var. heteradenius Fernald
  • Rubus parviflorus var. hypomalacus Fernald
  • Rubus parviflorus subsp. velutinus (Hook. & Arn.) R.L.Taylor & MacBryde
  • Rubus velutinus Hook. & Arn.
  • Rubus ribifolius C.K.Schneid.

Rubus parviflorus, commonly called thimbleberry,[2] (also known as redcaps) is a species of Rubus native to northern temperate regions of North America. The plant has large hairy leaves and no thorns. It bears edible red fruit similar in appearance to a raspberry, but shorter, almost hemispherical. It has not been commercially developed for the retail berry market, but is cultivated for landscapes.

Description

Rubus parviflorus is a dense

palmate, up to 20 cm (8 in) across (much larger than most other Rubus species), with five lobes; they are soft and fuzzy in texture.[3][4][5][6]

The flowers are 2 to 6 cm (3⁄4 to 2+1⁄4 in) in diameter, with five white petals and numerous pale yellow stamens. The flower of this species is among the largest of any Rubus species.[7][3]

The plant produces edible composite fruit approximately 1 cm (1⁄2 in) in diameter, which ripen to a bright red in mid to late summer. Like

drupelets around a central core. The drupelets may be carefully removed intact, separately from the core, when picked, leaving a hollow fruit which bears a resemblance to a thimble, perhaps giving the plant its name.[3][8]

Etymology

The

specific epithet parviflorus ("small-flowered") is a misnomer, since the species' flower is the largest of the genus.[7][3] The Concow tribe calls the plant wä-sā’ (Konkow language).[9]

Distribution and habitat

Rubus parviflorus is native to western North America from

Great Lakes Region. It grows from sea level in the north, up to elevations of 3,000 m (10,000 ft) in the south.[10][11][12]

R. parviflorus typically grows along roadsides, railroad tracks, and in forest clearings, commonly appearing as an early part of the

forest fire
areas.

Thimbleberry is found in forest understories with typical flora associates including

Smilacina racemosa.[13]

Ecology

The fruit is consumed by birds and bears, while black-tailed deer browse the young leaves and stems.[14] Larvae of the wasp species Diastrophus kincaidii (thimbleberry gallmaker)[15] develop in large, swollen galls on R. parviflorus stems.[16]

Cultivation

Helsinki University Botanical Garden in Finland

R. parviflorus is cultivated by specialty

habitat restoration projects. The fruit has fragrance.[17]
Thimbleberry plants can be propagated most successfully by planting dormant rhizome segments, as well as from seeds or stem cuttings.

The flowers support pollinators, including of special value to native

honeybees, and bumblebees.[7] The fruit is attractive to various birds and mammals, including bears.[7][18] It is the larval host and a nectar source for the yellow-banded sphinx moth.[7]

Cultivars

Cultivars of the plant are selected for ornamental qualities, such as for their fragrant flowers and/or attractive fall foliage color.[19]

A double-flowered form of the thimbleberry was discovered near

Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria
.

New York State

Uses

Cuisine

Thimbleberry fruits are flatter and softer (more fragile) than raspberries, but similarly have many small seeds. Because the fruit is so soft, it does not pack or ship well, so thimbleberries are rarely cultivated commercially.[21]

Wild thimbleberries can be eaten raw or dried (the water content of ripe thimbleberries is quite variable), and can be made into a

jam[22] which is sold as a local delicacy in some parts of their range, notably in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan.[citation needed
]

Traditional medicine

Many parts of the plant were used in

folk medicine by Native Americans.[22][19][23] A tea made from its leaves or roots was thought to be a treatment for wounds, burns, acne, or digestive problems;[24] a tea made from the canes was thought to be useful as a diuretic.[25] As of 2019, there is no evidence from modern clinical research or practice
that R. parviflorus is effective for treating any disease.

Thimbleberry leaves can be used in place of toilet paper when in the wilderness.[24]

References

  1. ^ The Plant List, Rubus parviflorus Nutt.
  2. ^ "Rubus parviflorus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d Flora of North America, Rubus parviflorus Nuttall, 1818. Thimbleberry
  4. ^ Klinkenberg, Brian, ed. (2014). "Rubus parviflorus". E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Retrieved 2016-07-03.
  5. ^ Giblin, David, ed. (2015). "Rubus parviflorus". WTU Herbarium Image Collection. Burke Museum, University of Washington. Retrieved 2016-07-03.
  6. ^ "Rubus parviflorus". Jepson eFlora: Taxon page. Jepson Herbarium; University of California, Berkeley. 2015. Retrieved 2016-07-03.
  7. ^ a b c d e Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas — Rubus parviflorus . accessed 2.12.2013
  8. ^ Earl J.S. Rook, Rubus parviflorus Thimbleberry photo
  9. Government Printing Office
    . p. 408. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  10. ^ Sullivan, Steven. K. (2015). "Rubus parviflorus". Wildflower Search. Retrieved 2016-07-03.
  11. ^ "Rubus parviflorus". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture; Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2015. Retrieved 2016-07-03.
  12. ^ SEINet, Southwestern Biodiversity, Arizona chapter includes photos, description, distribution map
  13. ^ C. Michael Hogan. 2008. Coastal Woodfern (Dryopteris arguta), GlobalTwitcher, ed. N. Stromberg Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine
  14. OCLC 1073035766
    .
  15. ^ "Thimbleberry Gallmaker (Diastrophus kincaidii)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  16. ^ "Diastrophus kincaidii". www.gallformers.org. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  17. ^ Las Pilitas Nursery horticultural treatment: Rubus parviflorus — Thimbleberry . accessed 2.12.2013
  18. ISBN 0-394-73127-1
    .
  19. ^ a b US Forest Service Fire Ecology
  20. ISBN 0-919843-00-X
    .
  21. ^ "Wild berries". Washington State Magazine. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  22. ^ a b "Search for Rubus parviflorus". Ethnobotany, University of Michigan. 2016-03-03. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
  23. ^ Native American Ethnobotany (University of Michigan - Dearborn) — for Rubus parviflorus . accessed 2.12.2013
  24. ^ a b Holly, Henry (18 August 2014). "Thimbleberry". The Northwest Forager™. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  25. OCLC 560560606
    .

External links

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