100 



N. Ord. ROSACE^E. 

 Tribe Rubece. 



Genus Rubus,* Linn. B. & H., Gen., i, p. 616 ; Bail!., Hist. 

 PL, i, p. 454. Species variously estimated at 500 or 100, 

 found in all parts of the world. 



100. RubllS Villosus, Alton, Hort. Kewensis, ii, p. 210 (1789). 



Common (American) Blackberry. High Blackberry. 

 Figures. Barton, ii, t. 39 ; Bigelow, ii, t. 38. 



Description. A bush 2 7 feet in height, with a woody, hori- 

 zontal, irregularly nodular, reddish-brown root-stock, and semi- 

 shrubby, biennial, upright, or nearly prostrate, weak, furrowed, 

 smooth, reddish stems, furnished with strong, hooked prickles ; the 

 younger branches green, covered with glandular hairs and fine 

 prickles. Leaves alternate, on long, hairy and glandular petioles, 

 with small, lanceolate, acute stipules at the base, trifoliolate, the 

 lower leaflets nearly sessile, sometimes pedately divided into two, 

 the terminal one conspicuously stalked, leaflets ovate, acute, 

 rounded at the base, coarsely and irregular serrate, rough above, 

 hairy and glandular beneath. Flowers varying in number and 

 size, arranged in lax terminal racemose or corymbose cymes, 

 stalks long, hairy, bracts small. Calyx deeply divided into 5 

 ovate, sharply-pointed segments, shortly hairy externally, smooth 

 within, spreading during flowering, afterwards deflexed, persistent. 

 Petals 5, obovate-oblong or oval, spreading, very shortly clawed, 

 white, soon falling. Stamens very numerous, perigynously 

 inserted on the margin of the short, spreading calyx-tube, fila- 

 ments long, slender, anthers small, with rounded cells. Carpels 

 numerous, separate, placed on a conical receptacle j ovaries smooth, 

 styles filiform, slightly lateral, stigmas simple. Fruit consisting 

 of numerous separate rounded drupes inserted on the somewhat 

 enlarged and fleshy receptacle, the whole supported by the reflexed 

 persistent calyx, and forming an ovoid or rounded head, deep 

 shining black when ripe ; pulp juicy, abundant, endocarp (nut or 

 * Rubus, the classical name for a bramble. 



