Rubus rosifolius
|
Taxon |
Family |
|
Rubus rosifolius Sm. |
Rosaceae |
 |
 |
| Native habitat in Australia Credit: Uniserve Connections |
Invaded habitat in Hawaii |
Common names: Roseleaf raspberry, forest bramble, Mauritius raspberry, thimbleberry, tropical red raspberry, West Indian raspberry.
Synonyms: Rubus rosaefolius Sm., Rubus commersonnii Poir., Rubus coronarius, Rubus eustephanos var. coronarius, Rubus rosaefolius Smith, Rubus rosifolius Smith var. coronarius Sims, Rubus rosifolius var. commersonii, Rubus rosifolius var. rosifolius
Life form: Herb/sub-shrub
Biology/Ecology:
Dispersal: Birds and rodents eat its fruit and thereby disperse seeds. Spreads vegetatively via suckers, and stems root whenever they come into contact with soil. Distributed by humans for ornamental purposes, as it is grown for its flowers.
Reproduction: Flowers contain many stamen and ovaries. One variety of the plant, Rubus rosifolius var. commersonii has 9-13 petals, whereas Rubus rosifolius var. rosifolius has 5 petals. The plant produces red subglobose fruit that is between 2 and 3.5 cm in length. Flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by insects, in particular honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). Plants in habitats which are moist all year round produce fruit all year.
Herbivores: No information available.
Resistant stages: Seeds can remain viable in the soil for several years.
Habitat:
Native habitat: Rainforest, forest margins, clearings, gullies.
Habitat occupied in invaded range: Moist forests, especially disturbed areas.
Habitat requirements:
| Altitude | Up to 2200 metres above sea level. |
| Light | Prefers plenty of sunlight, moderately shade intolerant. |
| Temperature | No information available. |
| Annual rainfall | At least 1800 mm, intolerant to drought. |
| Soil | Fertile, moist soil. |
Distribution:
Native to Australia, China, Southeast Asia, Mauritius, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu.
Introduced range: Invasive in Tanzania, Hawaii, French Polynesia and Swaziland. Introduced but not invasive in parts of Africa, Brazil, West Indies and Thailand.
Impacts:
Ecosystem: Invades the understorey of rainforests and forms dense thickets when adequate sunlight is available, overcrowding and outcompeting native plants. It is able to climb using hooks on its stems and prickles on the leaves.
Health, social and economic: Berries are edible and can be used for traditional medicinal purposes. In Australia, it is used for regeneration of disturbed sites.
Management:
Mechanical: Plants can be cut down but will probably grow back if roots are not fully removed.
Chemical: Glyphosate-based herbicides may be effective as they are used for the control of the similar plant Rubus fructicosus, and are applied by spraying.
Biological: Goats have been shown to control infestations of the plant through grazing, although care should be taken as goats are also an invasive species. The fungus Gymnoconia nitens infects Rubus species systemically, so could be used if no native species of Rubus are present in the area.
References:
ISSG, 2005. Rubus rosifolius (shrub, tree). Global Invasive Species Database. Available from http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=500&fr=1&sts=sss (Accessed August 2006).
Francis, J.K. Rubus rosifolius Sm. USDA Forest Service. Available from http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pdf/shrubs/Rubus%20rosifolius.pdf (Accessed August 2006).
Plants for a Future, 2000. Rubus rosaefolius. PFAF. Available from http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Rubus+rosaefolius (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
