ROSACEAE 197 



RUBUS, L. The Blackberries^ Raspberries, etc. 



Shrubs or trailing" vines, mostly thorny, with compound leaves 

 and usually edible fruits. A puzzling genus, more so in the north- 

 ern states and in Europe than with us. Many alleged new species 

 have been described in recent years, and there is no telling how 

 many may eventually be credited to Alabama. At present about 

 half a dozen is all that can be distinguished in this state by one 

 who has not made a special study of them. 



The fruits of some are of considerable commercial importance, 

 and most of the species possess medicinal properties, especially in 

 the bark of the root. Most of them are more frequent as weeds 

 in old fields and along roadsides, where they are pretty well pro- 

 tected from fire, than in any natural habitats. 



Rubus floridus, Tratt. (R. nigrobaccus, Bailey?) Blackberry. 



To this species may be referred provisionally the common 

 blackberries of moderately rich soil, pastures and thickets, par- 

 ticularly in the upper half of the state. They also grow often in 

 damp places, such as clearings in swamps. The time of blooming 

 varies with the latitude, but is usually March to May. These 

 blackberries are common and widely distributed outside of the re- 

 gions where long-leaf pine predominates. 



Rubus cuneifolius, Pursh. Blackberry. (Brier-bErry.) 



Differs from our other species in having smaller and thicker 

 leaflets covered beneath with short dense whitish down. Its nat- 

 ural habitat is not certainly known, but it is common on sandy 

 roadsides and in sandy old fields, mostly in the coastal plain. 



Reported by Dr. Mohr from Lauderdale and Cullman Coun- 

 ties. Occurs near Tuscaloosa, but is much more common south of 

 the black belt. It is almost the only bush blackberry in regions 8, 

 lOE, 12 and 13. 



Rubus trivialis, Mx. Dewberry. 



Our common dewberries may represent more than one species, 

 but they are all trailing vines, with leaves evergreen or nearly so, 

 flowers and fruit about a month earlier than the blackberries, and 



