Bombus lapidarius - Rubus caesius - Valingu

The dewberries are a group of species in the genus ''

Rubus ''Rubus'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae, with over 1,350 species. Raspberries, blackberries, and dewberries are common, widely distributed members of the genus. Most of the ...

'', section ''Rubus'', closely related to the blackberries. They are small trailing (rather than upright or high-arching)

brambles A bramble is any rough, tangled, prickly shrub, usually in the genus ''Rubus'', which grows blackberries, raspberries, or dewberries. "Bramble" is also used to describe other prickly shrubs, such as roses (''Rosa'' species). The fruits includ ...

with

aggregate fruit A raspberry fruit (shown with a raspberry beetle larva) is an aggregate fruit, an aggregate of drupe">raspberry_beetle.html" ;"title="raspberry fruit (shown with a raspberry beetle">raspberry fruit (shown with a raspberry beetle larva) is an aggre ...

s, reminiscent of the

raspberry The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with ...

, but are usually purple to black instead of red. Alternatively, they are sometimes referred to as ground berries.

Description

The plants do not have upright canes like some other ''

'' species, but have stems that trail along the ground, putting forth new roots along the length of the stem. The stems are covered with fine spines or stickers. Around March and April, the plants start to grow white

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanis ...

s that develop into small green berries. The tiny green berries grow red and then a deep purple-blue as they ripen. When the berries are ripe, they are tender and difficult to pick in any quantity without squashing them. The berries are sweet and often less seedy than blackberries. In the winter the leaves often remain on the stems, but may turn dark red. The European dewberry, '' Rubus caesius'', grows more upright like other brambles. Its fruits are a deep, almost black, purple and are coated with a thin layer or 'dew' of waxy droplets. Thus, they appear sky-blue (''caesius'' being

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

for pale blue). Its fruits are small and retain a markedly tart taste even when fully ripe.

Species

* ''Rubus'' Section ''Caesii'', European dewberry ** European dewberry, '' Rubus caesius'' L. * ''Rubus'' Section ''Flagellares'', American dewberries ** '' Rubus aboriginum'' Rydb., synonyms: *** ''Rubus almus'' (L.H. Bailey) L.H.Bailey *** ''Rubus austrinus'' L.H.Bailey *** ''Rubus bollianus'' L.H.Bailey *** ''Rubus clair-brownii L.H.Bailey *** ''Rubus decor'' L.H. Bailey *** ''Rubus flagellaris'' Willd. var. ''almus'' L.H.Bailey *** ''Rubus foliaceus'' L.H. Bailey *** ''Rubus ignarus'' L.H. Bailey *** ''Rubus ricei'' L.H. Bailey ** Aberdeen dewberry, '' Rubus depavitus'' L.H.Bailey ** Northern dewberry, ''

Rubus flagellaris ''Rubus flagellaris'', the northern dewberry, also known as the common dewberry, is a North American species perennial subshrub species of dewberry, in the rose family. This dewberry is distributed across much of Canada, Mexico, and the United ...

'' Willd. ** Swamp dewberry, '' Rubus hispidus'' L. ** Upland dewberry, '' Rubus invisus'' (L.H.Bailey) Britton ** Pacific dewberry, ''

Rubus ursinus ''Rubus ursinus'' is a North American species of blackberry or dewberry, known by the common names California blackberry, California dewberry, Douglas berry, Pacific blackberry, Pacific dewberry and trailing blackberry. Description ''Rubus ursi ...

'' Cham. & Schltdl. ** Southern dewberry '' Rubus trivialis'' L.H.Bailey

Distribution and habitat

Dewberries are common throughout most of the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

and are thought of as a beneficial weed. ''Rubus caesius'' is frequently restricted to coastal communities, especially sand

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

systems.

Ecology

The leaves are sometimes eaten by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described speci ...

species including peach blossom moths.

Uses

The leaves can be used to make a

herbal tea Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term ...

, and the berries are edible and taste sweet. They can be eaten raw, or used to make cobbler, jam, or

pie A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients. Sweet pies may be filled with fruit (as in an apple pie), nuts (pecan pie), brown sugar ( sugar pie), sweete ...

. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the town of

Cameron, North Carolina Cameron is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 359 at the 2020 census. History Cameron grew up around a plank road that was followed in later years by a railroad. The town was planned in 1875 and incorporated ...

, was known as the "dewberry capital of the world" for large scale cultivation of this berry which was shipped out for widespread consumption. Local growers made extensive use of the railroads in the area to ship them nationally and internationally.

References

External links

* {{Hybrid Rubus Berries Plant common names Rubus