32 THE SMALL FRUITS OF NEW YORK 



Oreobatus deliciosus. Rydherg Bui. Torrey Bot. Club ^0:27$. 1903. Rydberg A^. Ajh. 

 Fl. 22:427. 1913. 



Rocky Mountain Flowering Raspberry. — Erect shrub, 1-2.5 I'n high, branches peren- 

 nial, slightly arching at the top; young stems pale reddish brown, downy; bark peeling off 

 later on. Leaves simple, roundish cordate, wider than long, with 3-5-7 short, rounded lobes 

 and small, ovate, sharp teeth, 2-6 cm wide; green on both sides, sparingly hairy above 

 but soon glabrous, longer so on the veins beneath and often finely glandular pruinose. 

 Petioles and the lanceolate-acuminate stipules downy. Flowering branches lateral, with 

 similar but smaller leaves ; flowers large and show^^ rose-like, 4-6 cm across or more, white, 

 solitary on slender, but firm, downy peduncles. Calyx-lobes ovate, cuspidate, entire or 

 toothed, pubescent and more or less glandular; petals roundish or broadly obovate, stamens 

 numerous; pistils pubescent. Fruit half-round, surrounded by the appressed calyx; 

 dark purple; drupelets numerous, almost dry. 



Southwestern North America; in the mountains of Colorado and prob- 

 ably also of Arizona and New Mexico. A desirable, free-flowering, and very 

 hardy ornamental shrub, but not a fruit plant; the name " deliciosus " was 

 probably given for its profusely borne, fine, rose-like flowers. Contrary to 

 other Rubi this species is difficult to propagate. It does not sucker, cut- 

 tings strike but slowly, and layers often take as long as a year before they 

 are properly rooted. There are several varieties in cultivation, the most 

 desirable one has flowers almost twice as large as those of the more common 

 kind. In habit and foliage R. deliciosus resembles some kinds of currants 

 more than a bramble. There are three or possibly more related species, all 

 natives of southwestern United States, Mexico, and Guatemala. 



.Subgenus X. Idaeobatus. Focke Abh. Nat. Ver. Bremen 4:143, 147. 1874; Focke 

 Spec. Rub. 2:128. 191 1 ; Ibid. 3:260. 1914. 



Raspberries. — Canes usually biennial, erect, arching or decurving at the top and 

 sometimes rooting from the tip, in some species scandent or prostrate; usually prickly, 

 sometimes bristly or glandular bristly. Leaves in some species simple and lobed, in others 

 odd-pinnately compound, in a few 5-foliolate digitate or pedate; petioles with adnate 

 narrow stipules. Flowers and inflorescences various; caljTC-lobes almost equal, petals often 

 fugacious. Fruit composed of many cohering drupelets, dissolving at maturity from the 

 core as a thimble or a cap. 



This subgenus is composed of numerous species inhabiting all the five 

 continents. They are especially numerous in the northern hemisphere and 

 chiefly in the temperate and subtropical regions of Asia from the Himalaya 

 to Japan, western and central China being extremely rich in species. Some 

 species are very important fruit plants and are cultivated largely as rasp- 

 berries ; others may be useful for the plant breeder and many are ornamental 

 garden plants. 



