Rubus alceifolius
Content
Description
Shrubs with arching or climbing branches up to 5 m long.
Leaves orbicular to broadly ovate in outline, (10-)12-26 by (9-)12-26 cm, 5-7-lobed with up to 4 cm deep incisions, lobes rounded and shallowly lobed, base deeply cordate, margins grossly and evenly serrate, apex obtuse to acute, herbaceous to slighdy coriaceous, nervation pedate with 5-7 pairs of nerves, venation reticulate, sometimes the upper surface distinctly bullate between the veins, upper surface hairy, lower surface with a usually closed felt of short, curly hairs and with many long, patent hairs on the nerves.
Stipules often rather persistent, orbicular in outline, up to c. 2 cm, deeply digitately divided with the lobes pinnate, lobes thread-like, at most 0.3 mm wide, hairy outside and on margins.
Inflorescence a terminal compound raceme with 12 or more laterals, the lower of them in the axils of leaves, up to 50 cm long, the lateral racemes up to 12 cm long, all axes terminating in a flower.
Flowers bisexual, flower buds ± globular.
Sepals ovate, 6-10 by 4-7 mm, acute to acuminate, not-covered margins with 2-5 teeth up to 2(-4) mm long, indumentum outside as hypanthium.
Petals early falling, orbicular, 5.5-9.5 by 4.5-9 mm, distinctly clawed, rounded or notched at apex, white.
Stamens 160-230, filaments up to 5 mm, anthers 0.5-0.8 mm long, with long hairs.
Fruits 2-4 by 2-3 mm when dry, red, mesocarp juicy, a thin layer when dry.
Distribution
Asia-Temperate: Taiwan (Taiwan present), Asia-Tropical: Borneo present; Cambodia (Cambodia present); Jawa (Jawa present); Laos (Laos present); Lesser Sunda Is. present; Malaya present; Sulawesi (Sulawesi present); Sumatera (Sumatera present); Thailand (Thailand present); Vietnam (Vietnam present), Australasia: Queensland (Queensland), Burma present, Madagascar, Mascarenes
China, Taiwan, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam; Malesia: Sumatra, Malaya, Borneo, Java, Celebes, Lesser Sunda Islands. Introduced in Australia (Queensland), Madagascar, and Mascarenes.
Uses
Shoots are eaten (Sumatra), a kind of use which is rarely mentioned for species of Rubus. Roots of the species are boiled and taken against dysentery (Malaya).