Bailey & Bailey: Woody Plants of National Parks 105 



9. Salmonberry {Rubus spectabilis Pursh). — Shrub with erect stems 

 3 to 9 feet high; bark reddish-brown, shreddy on old stems, crimson-red in 

 young shoots; stems armed with short, straight, weak prickles or nearly un- 

 armed; leaves mostly composed of 3 leaflets; leaflets 1 to 3i/2 inches long, 

 egg-shaped with pointed tips, the margins toothed; flowers red, about 1 to li/4 

 inches across, borne singly or in clusters of 2 or 3; berry ovoid, red or 

 yellow, 1/2 to ^4 inch long. 



Salmonberry is so called because of its large, juicy, typically salmon- 

 colored fruit. These and the showy dark-red flowers may account for the 

 Latin specific name, spectabilis. The shrub is usually found along streams or 

 in the moist Douglas fir and Sitka spruce forests of the Northwest. It may 

 sometimes be found in cut-over and burned-over areas, but is seldom abundant 

 except where it borders the virgin forest. Deer and elk browse the foliage 

 during the summer and utilize the twigs during the winter. On the Olympic 

 Peninsula this species has been sought so eagerly by elk that it has been 

 practically eliminated from some of the overgrazed areas. The large, juicy, 

 mild-flavored berries were gathered and prepared in a variety of ways by 

 the Indians. Salmonberry has been cultivated as an ornamental in England 

 since 1827, when it was introduced by David Douglas, an early Scotch botan- 

 ical explorer in the new world.- "^ 



Occurrence. — Olympic, common, 1,500 to 3,000 feet: Elvvha River near Hayes 

 River; near mouth of Godkin Creek; Canyon Creek. MOUNT RAINIER, common, 2,500 

 to 5,000 feet: Longmire road; Nisqually Valley; Stevens Canyon trail; Ipsut Creek 

 near Ipsut Pass. 



10. Whitebark Raspberry, Blackcap (Rubus leticodermis Dougl.), 

 fig. 44. — Shrubs with long cane-like stems armed with short, stiff, curved 

 prickles; leaves divided into 3 to 7 leaflets, these % to 3i/2 inches long, more 

 or less egg-shaped and often unequal-sided at the base, toothed with coarse, 

 sharp teeth, green above, felty-white below; flowers white, about i^ to 2/3 inch 

 across, borne in few-flowered clusters; berry dark-purple or black when ripe, 

 about 1,4 inch across, the tiny drupelets packed close together into a com- 

 pact cup. 



The scientific name, leucodermis, comes from the white bark which is 

 very conspicuous on the long, spreading, cane-like stems which often root 

 where they touch the ground. The white under-surface of the leaves also 

 stands out in sharp contrast to the dark green upper surface. The flowers 

 resemble blackberry flowers and the purple-black fruits are similar to black 

 raspberries, hence the name, blackcap. They are sweet and pleasant-flavored 

 and were used by the Indians either fresh, or dried. The young shoots are 

 sv.'eet and edible and were among the favorite foods of the Indians of the 

 Northwest. The plants are browsed to some extent in spite of the sharp 

 thorns thickly covering the stems. 



Occurrence. — OLYMPIC, up to about 2,000 feet: Olympic Guard Station; Skokomish 

 River along trail. MOUNT RAINIER, common, 2,000 to 5,000 feet: Carbon River road; 



20 Range Plant Handbook, B 140: United States Department of Agriculture, For- 

 est Service. 1939. 



