Rubus niveus
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Taxon |
Family |
|
Rubus niveus Thunb. |
Rosaceae |
 |
 |
| R. niveus fruit Credit: Charles Darwin Foundation |
Invaded habitat in Hawaii |
Common names: Hill raspberry, Ceylon raspberry, Mysore raspberry, snowpeaks raspberry
Synonyms: Rubus albescens Roxb., Rubus lasiocarpus Sm., Rubus micranthus Don, Rubus foliolosus D. Don, Rubus horsfieldii Miq, Rubus pendunculosus D. Don
Life form: Shrub
Biology/Ecology:
Dispersal: Fruits spread by birds and rodents, as well as other animals. Introduced by humans for its edible fruit.
Reproduction: Produces pink or mauve flowers in dense clusters. Flowers are 10-15 mm in diameter and are pollinated by insects, particularly honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Flowering and fruiting usually occurs all year, but with peaks. Fruits are ovoid globose, have a diameter of between 10 to 15 mm and are white, pink or deep purple. Each fruit contains around 180 seeds, which have a diameter of 1 to 1.5 mm. Seeds usually germinate from 3 weeks to several months. Soil seed banks can be very dense, 25000 seeds per square metre has been reported. Some seeds are able to survive in the soil for 28 months.
Herbivores: Various insects, including the 2-spotted mite (Tetranychus bimaculatus) and the green stink bug (Nezara viridula).
Resistant stages: Some seeds have been reported to lie dormant in the soil for at least 28 months.
Habitat:
Native habitat: Forests, slopes, montane valleys, floodplains and streamsides.
Habitat occupied in invaded range: Forests, wet places.
Habitat requirements:
Tolerates a very wide range of climatic conditions.
| Altitude | Below 3000 metres above sea level. |
| Light | Prefers some light shade. |
| Temperature | No information available. |
| Annual rainfall | Prefers wet habitats. |
| Soil | Well-drained, acidic soil. |
Distribution:
Native to India and Southeast Asia.
Introduced range: Invasive in Hawaii and Galapagos. Introduced but not considered invasive in tropical regions of both Africa and South America.
Impacts:
Ecosystem: Arching and intertwining stems form dense thickets that displace native plants and prevent them regenerating, also affecting wildlife habitats.
Health, social and economic: Often creates impenetrable thickets with sharp thorns, restricting human access and making mechanical control difficult. Invades agricultural land, forming dense stands and posing a problem for farming.
Management:
Mechanical: Difficult due to sharp thorns and dense thickets. Isolated shrubs can be dug out if possible. Larger thickets can be slashed or burnt and herbicides applied to regrowth.
Chemical: Specific chemical control methods are not available for this species, but effective herbicides for other species of this genus include glyphosate, 2,4-D plus dicamba, 2,4-D plus 2,4,5-T, triclopyr, picloram and amitrole-T. Methods of application are foliar, stem injection, cut stump and basal stem.
Biological: Goats have been effective at controlling the shrub by grazing. The fungus Gymnoconia nitens infects Rubus species systemically, so could be used if no native species of Rubus are present in the area.
References:
Weber, E., 2003. Invasive Plant Species of the World: A Reference Guide to Environmental Weeds. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK.
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER), 2004. Available from http://www.hear.org/pier/species/rubus_niveus.htm (Accessed August 2006).
Starr, F., Starr, K., Loope, L., 2003. Rubus niveus f. a. PIER. Available from http://www.hear.org/pier/pdf/pohreports/rubus_niveus_f_a.pdf (Accessed August 2006).
Morton, J., 1987. Mysore Raspberry. Fruits of warm climates, pp 109-110. Available from http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/mysore_raspberry.html (Accessed August 2006).
Gardner, D.E., Hodges, C.S., Killgore, E., Anderson, R.C., 1997. An Evaluation of the Rust Fungus Gymnoconia nitens as a Potential Biological Control Agent for Alien Rubus Species in Hawaii. Biological Control 10, 151-158
Last updated October 2006
