Rubus ulmifolius Schott (1818: 42)

Beek, Abraham Van De, 2021, Rubi Capenses: a further contribution to the knowledge of the genus Rubus (Rosaceae) in South Africa, Phytotaxa 515 (1), pp. 1-71 : 57

31. Rubus ulmifolius Schott (1818: 42) . Lectotype (designated by Weber 1986: 216):— SPAIN. ‘In sepibus maritimis Hispania’, s. dat., Schott s.n. (W)

Pictures: —http://rubus-nederland.nl/nl/soorten/systematische-namenlijst/26-braam-genus-rubus-l/braam-subgenus-rubus/zwarte-braamsectie-rubus/boogbraam-subsectie-sylvatici/koebraam-serie-gypsocaulon-p-j-muell-ex-sudre-juz/29-r-ulmifolius-schott

Primocane arching, diam. 3–9 mm, angular, sometimes furrowed, red brown, densely pruinose, glabrous or with (sometimes dense) short stellate hairs; prickles 3–12 per 5 cm, from 4–15 mm large base gradually attenuate, compressed, 4–10(–16) mm long, patent, declining or curved; stipules linear, 7–12 mm long. Leaves small, (3–)5- foliolate, somewhat coriaceous, adaxially glabrous or with very few stellate hairs, abaxially densely white tomentose and sometimes with some longer hairs, fine to coarsely serrate, with mucronate teeth; petiole longer than lowest leaflets, 3–7 cm, with 5–16 hooked prickles; central leaflet very diverse in shape, often obovate and mucronate, 4–9 cm long, width–length index 0.38–0.92, length of petiolule 27–70% of length of leaflet. Flowering branch angular, with short stellate and sometimes also longer simple hairs; prickles (0–)2–9 per 5 cm, 3–10 mm long, patent, declining, curved or hooked; usually some of leaves 5-foliolate, serrature often finer than with primocane leaves. Inflorescence cylindric of pyramidal, almost leafless, densely tomentose and sometimes with some longer hairs, with scattered to numerous strong prickles, rarely unarmed; peduncles rigid, patent or slightly ascendent, basal ones with 1–13 flowers; pedicels 4–30 mm long, densely tomentose, with 0–9 pricklets. Flowers: sepals reflexed, densely tomentose; petals broad, usually orbicular, usually deep pink; stamens as long as styles; anthers glabrous or with some hairs; styles yellowish or pink; ovaries and receptacle hairy.

Ecology: —Roadsides, grasslands.

Distribution in South Africa: —In the region only at Knowsley, south of Tarkastad (Eastern Cape). Rather common in the eastern Free State in the region around Ficksburg; scattered in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and North West.

Specimen:— SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape: About 15 km from Tarkastad on the road to Fort Beaufort at Knowsley , 15 March 1988, Henderson 964 ( PRE) .

Note: —The record of R. ulmifolius subsp. anatolicus ( Focke 1886: 335) Focke (1914: 153) [= R. creticus Tourn. ex Linnaeus (1756: 15) = R. sanctus Schreber (1766 : t. 8)] by Beek (2016: 46) is incorrect; it refers to plants with hairy anthers of R. ulmifolius subsp. ulmifolius found near the Hartebeespoortdam (specimen: July 1974, Beek B 854, L.1917801, L.1917802).