Jepson eFlora: Key page
Vascular Plants of California
Key to families | Table of families and genera

Key to Rubus

View taxon page for Rubus

(For a list of species in Rubus, use the above link.)


1. Stipules triangular-lanceolate to  or , 1.5–4(10) mm wide

2. Prickles small, ± wide-based, curved ..... R. nivalis

2' Prickles 0

3. Stems   < 4 cm; pistils < 15; styles long, slender ..... R. lasiococcus

3' Stems ; leaf blade > 5 cm; pistils > 30; styles short, thick ..... R. parviflorus

1' Stipules thread-like to , <= 1 mm wide

4. Stems not angled; flowers generally <= 10; fruit raspberry-type (blackberry-type in Rubus ursinus)

5. Stems erect, not glaucouspetals magenta ..... R. spectabilis

5' Stems prostrate to  or arched to mounded, glaucous; petals white or ± pink

6. Leaves gray-hairy abaxially; flowers generally unisexualovaries glabrous or hairy ..... R. ursinus

6' Leaves densely white-tomentose abaxially; flowers ; ovaries densely hairy

7. Prickles weak, straight or ± curved; pistils < 10 ..... R. glaucifolius

7' Prickles stout, straight or generally curved; pistils generally > 30 ..... R. leucodermis

4' Stems 5-angled; flowers generally >= 10 (as few as 5 in Rubus pensilvanicus); fruit blackberry-type

8' Prickles many, stout, wide-based

9. Leaves compoundleaflets deeply dissected ..... R. laciniatus

9' Leaves  or compound, leaflets 0 or not dissected

10. Leaves gray-hairy abaxially; inflorescence a raceme-like  ..... R. pensilvanicus

10' Leaves densely white-tomentose abaxially; inflorescence a panicle-like cyme

11. Stems not glaucous; terminal leaflets of 1st-yr stems generally wide-elliptic to -obovate, unevenly coarse-toothed ..... R. armeniacus

11' Stems glaucous; terminal leaflets of 1st-yr stems  to narrow-obovate, evenly finely toothed ..... R. ulmifolius var. ulmifolius




