IRose ifamil^. 



High-bush Blackberry. Ruhus villosus. 



Found in roadside thickets in early June. 



This large, stout, stalk varies from 2 to 6 feet in height; it 

 branches toward the top, is I'ound, and grooved, and armed with strong 

 lecurved thorns ; the new shoots are furnished with short, coarse hairs. 

 The color in the old stalks is a vigorous russet-red, while the young 

 growths are green. 



The leaf is divided sometimes into 3 leaflets and sometimes into 5, 

 each leaflet being set on a short foot-stem with the end one a little 

 longer than the others; the margins are coarsely toothed, the ribs 

 deeply marked, the texture coarse, and the surface covered with short 

 hairs ; the stem and midrib are furnished imderneath with small strong 

 prickles. The color is a coarse, warm green. The leaves are placed 

 alternately, with narrow leafy wings at the stalk. 



The 5 oblong petals of the flower taper into a narrow claw at the 

 base ; the color is pure white ; the 5, pointed, light green calyx -parts 

 alternate with the petals ; the stamens are many, thread-like, and tipped 

 with dark brown, while the several pistils form a rounding, pale green 

 bunch in the center. The flowers, on their light green stems, form 

 large cone-like clusters on the ends df the stalks. 



The old canes are noticeable in winter and early spring for their 

 fine russet-red, as they grow in plantations on the hillsides and along 

 the lanes ; this strong red coloring comes out in the autumn leafage, 

 dark and rich though subdued in hue, and is held late in the vigorous 

 fibre of the leaf. The gracefully formed flower blooms in profusion, 

 early, though the fruit is longer than the other Blackberries in matur. 

 ing ; the fruit-clusters add another attractive feature to the plant, 

 which is known as " only a common Bramble." 



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