Rubus ellipticus Sm.

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Rubus ellipticus

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chelinda Airstrip, Nyika National Park

Rubus ellipticus

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chelinda Airstrip, Nyika National Park

Rubus ellipticus

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chelinda Airstrip, Nyika National Park

Rubus ellipticus

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chelinda Airstrip, Nyika National Park

Rubus ellipticus

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chelinda Airstrip, Nyika National Park

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:
Common names:
Frequency: Locally common
Status: Introduced
Description:
Robust scrambling shrub up to 6 m tall, with very stout canes. Flowering branches straight or zig-zag, reddish-brown, densely covered with stiff, straight, reddish bristles up to 5 mm long; prickles 3–5 mm long, straight or weakly decurved, glossy. Leaves 10–19 cm long, trifoliolate; leaflets broadly elliptic to obovate, terminal one larger than laterals; dark greyish-green above, pale greenish-grey and very shortly tomentose beneath, veins prominent veins, the midrib bristly and prickly; margins minutely serrate; petiole and rhachis bristly like the stem, bearing smaller but more strongly hooked prickles. Stipules stiffly filiform. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, shorter than leaves. Calyx rather leathery, divided into broadly ovate lobes 5–7 mm long. Petals white or yellow, c. twice as long as sepals. Fruit enclosed within persistent calyx, yellow when ripe; carpels almost hairless.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: ellipticus: elliptic, referring to the shape of the leaflets.
Habitat: Regenerated forest, scrub, grassy clearings.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution: Native in India and Sri Lanka, naturalized in scattered localities throughout Africa.
Malawi distribution: N,S
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Thursday 30 August 2018
Literature:

Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 28 - 29. (Includes a picture).

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 237.

Mendes, E.J. (1978). Rosaceae Flora Zambesiaca 4 Page 14.

Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 159.

Other sources of information about Rubus ellipticus:

Our websites:

Flora of Mozambique: Rubus ellipticus

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Rubus ellipticus
African Plant Database: Rubus ellipticus
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Rubus ellipticus
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Rubus ellipticus
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Rubus ellipticus
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Rubus ellipticus
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Rubus ellipticus
JSTOR Plant Science: Rubus ellipticus
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Rubus ellipticus
Plants of the World Online: Rubus ellipticus
Tropicos: Rubus ellipticus
Wikipedia: Rubus ellipticus


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Species information: Rubus ellipticus.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=180670, retrieved 19 March 2024

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