ROSE FAMILY 



BRAMBLE 



Riibus. 



Rubus, the Roman name, kindred to ruber, red. 



The Bramble is allied to the roses, and in many 

 respects the likeness between them is marked ; but the 

 growth of the stem and the character of the fruit are 

 personal and characteristic, and fully distinguish the 

 genus from any other. In it are included the raspber- 

 ries, black and red, also the blackberries. 



The Bramble is a sort of compromise between a per- 

 ennial herb and a shrub. The stems are indeed woody, 

 but instead of living on from year to year and bearing 

 an indefinite number of crops, as the currant or the 

 gooseberry, they live but about a year and a half, and 

 perish after maturing their fruit ; while the roots live 

 on indefinitely. The young stems make very rapid 

 growth until they have attained their normal stature, 

 then growth ceases. These stems are called canes, and 

 are very noticeable in any vigorous black raspberry or 

 blackberry bush, but not quite so marked in the red 

 raspberry. 



The fruit, likewise, will repay careful examination. 

 In the centre of a Rubus blossom is a group of carpels 

 set upon a slightly convex receptacle. After the petals 

 fall and the seed vessels begin to enlarge, this convex 

 receptacle enlarges too, and bears upon its sides and 

 apex the numerous tiny drupes; one for each carpel 

 of the blossom. They find themselves considerably 

 crowded, and unite rather by pressure than by growth. 

 In the case of the raspberries, the union of the re- 



136 



