Genus: Rubus — blackberry
Hybrids are very common in Rubus. It is a difficult genus that has been treated either by lumping very diverse plants into "megaspecies," or by recognizing a large number of species based upon only one character difference. This key uses an intermediate approach, following Hodgdon and Steele (1966). It is important to distinguish between primocanes and floricanes when using the key. The form of the primocane stem should be checked during or after flowering on the floricanes, since early growth form can be different. Bristles are less than 0.5 mm thick at the base, small-based prickles are 0.3–1.2 mm thick, and broad-based prickles are 0.8–4 mm thick. References: Hodgdon and Steele (1966), Steele and Hodgdon (1970).
Family
This genus’s species in New England
- Rubus allegheniensis
- Rubus arenicola
- Rubus argutus
- Rubus bifrons
- Rubus canadensis
- Rubus chamaemorus
- Rubus cuneifolius
- Rubus dalibarda
- Rubus discolor
- Rubus elegantulus
- Rubus enslenii
- Rubus flagellaris
- Rubus frondosus
- Rubus hispidus
- Rubus idaeus
- Rubus illecebrosus
- Rubus jaysmithii
- Rubus laciniatus
- Rubus occidentalis
- Rubus odoratus
- Rubus parvifolius
- Rubus pensilvanicus
- Rubus phoenicolasius
- Rubus pubescens
- Rubus recurvicaulis
- Rubus semisetosus
- Rubus setosus
- Rubus vermontanus
Visit this genus in the Dichotomous Key