Rubus queenslandicus

Bramble-of-the-cape
Flower
Conservation status
Least Concern (NCA)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Rubus
Species:	R. queenslandicus
Binomial name
Rubus queenslandicus A.R.Bean

Rubus queenslandicus, commonly known as bramble-of-the-cape, rose-leaf bramble, or native raspberry, is a plant in the rose family Rosaceae which is endemic to a small part of northeastern Queensland, Australia, where it is found on the margins of highland forest. Prior to 1997, collections of this plant were identified as either R. rosifolius, R. fraxinifolius or R. muelleri/R. probus.

Description

This species is an erect shrub growing up to about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall. The stems, petioles and rachises are glabrous, i.e. without hairs, but have small stout thorns about 3 mm (0.12 in) long. The compound leaves are glabrous and usually have five or seven leaflets, although those close to inflorescences may have three or one. The leaflet blades are narrowly ovate, the base obtuse and the tip acute or acuminate. The leaflet margins are bi- or triserrate, the teeth up to 3 mm (0.12 in) long, and each of the eight or nine lateral veins terminates at a major tooth.

The inflorescences are terminal or borne in the leaf axils, flowers carried on pedicels up to 3.5 cm (1.4 in) long. There are five pale sepals measuring up to 11 mm (0.43 in) by 4 mm (0.16 in) with a long acumen, narrowly triangular, persistent. The five petals are white, measure about 11 mm (0.43 in) long by 8 mm (0.31 in) wide, and are deciduous. The flowers have between 100 and 200 stamens measuring about 3.5 mm (0.14 in) long, and between 400 and 600 carpels.

The fruit is an ovoid or somewhat cylindrical aggregate fruit measuring about 13 mm (0.51 in) diameter and up to 18 mm (0.71 in) long, and is bright red at maturity.

Phenology

Flowering has been observed from May to November, and fruit between June and February.

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described by the Queensland botanist Anthony Bean based on a specimen collected by another Queensland botanist, Paul Irwin Forster, in the Mount Lewis National Park. Bean's paper, titled "A revision of Rubus subg. Idaeobatus (Focke) Focke (Rosaceae) in Australia", was published in 1997 in the journal Austrobaileya.

Etymology

The genus name Rubus is from the Latin word rubus meaning "blackberry" or "bramble". The species epithet queenslandicus refers to the Australian state to which this species is endemic.

Distribution and habitat

This species is restricted to highland areas of northeastern Queensland, from the Windsor Tablelands (adjacent to the Daintree National Park), south to Mount Fox (a little north of Townsville). However, most collections of the plant have been on the Atherton Tableland. It usually grows in disturbed areas of rainforest or on the forest's margins, at altitudes from about 680 m (2,230 ft) up to 1,200 m (3,900 ft).

Ecology

The fruit is eaten by numerous species of birds.

Conservation

This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern. As of 18 January 2024, it has not been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Gallery

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  Habit
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  Compound leaves
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  Flower close-up
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  Flowers and fruit
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  New fruit with persistent calyx
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  Ripe fruit

External links

• Data related to Rubus queenslandicus at Wikispecies
• Media related to Rubus queenslandicus at Wikimedia Commons
• View a map of historical sightings of this species at the Australasian Virtual Herbarium
• View observations of this species on iNaturalist
• View images of this species on Flickriver