Rubus ursinus  Cham & Schldl. =R. macropetalus Dougl.                                                                                          =R. vitifolius  ssp. ursinus  C & S                                                                                                    Rosaceae (Rose Family)                                                                                                         Native   California Blackberry   Pacific Blackberry

                            March Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Plant clambering, long and vigorous runner and tip rooter, canes 12 to 18m. in length, pruinose; stems 2-10 mm. in diam., round; prickles slender, +/- straight; mature floricanes clambering, early growth erect; lvs. of  primocanes and floricanes gen. 3-5 foliate, petioles prickly, +/- 2.5 cm; stipules linear;  blade +/- 2-10 cm., ovate to lanceolate, irregularly toothed, +/- hairy pubescent on both surfaces, green below, not gray tomentose; infl. +/- cyme, few-fld, on glandular, prickly pedicels about equaling the foliage, fl. gen. unisexual; sepals +/- 1 cm. long incl. 0-3mm spiny tip; petals 5-25 mm., +/-elliptic, white; pistils gen. greater than 10; fr. blackberry-like, oblong to globose, black, gen. glabrous.

Habitat:  Waste places, canyons, generally in moist places. Below 1500 m.  California Floristic Province.  (Hickman Ed. 975). Blooms March-May

Name:  Latin name for bramble, related to ruber, red.  Munz, Flora So. Calif. 759.   Latin, ursinus, resembling a bear (Jaeger 277).  Greek, macros, long, large and Gr. petalon, a leaf.  (Jaeger  147, 190).  I see no relationship between the plant and the name ursinus unless it relates to the fact that bears eat the berries.  (my comment).

General:  Uncommon in the study area; it was found first in Big Canyon, on the northerly side near Back Bay Dr.  The one colony, however, is quite large and expanding rapidly below the tree canopy.  The plants, as nearly as I can determine, have never borne fruit although both pistillate and staminate flowers are present.  Whether the lack of fruit is due to the shade under the tree canopy or lack of pollinators I do not know.  Found again, just above marsh level in the area below Eastbluff North. These plants bear a small black fruit and there are two colonies there. (my comments)         Many California Indian tribes ate the berries of R. vitifolius and R. ursinus. They were eaten fresh or dried for winter. The berries were reconstituted by boiling them in a small amount of water.  Half ripe berries were soaked in water and made into a drink by the Cahuilla.  (Campbell 152).      Bailey separates R.  macropetalus and R. ursinus while Hickman, Ed. combines the two into R. ursinus.  (my comments).      An ancestor of loganberry and boysenberry  (Hickman Ed. 975).      Abrams lists R. vitifolius as including R. macropetalus and R. ursinus var. glabratus.  He also lists R. vitifolius ssp. ursinus. (Abrams Vol. II  457).    The 1925 Jepson Manual also lists R. vitifolius with its characteristics matching my Big Canyon specimen. (my comment

Text Ref:  Abrams, Vol. II  457; Bailey 523; Jepson, Manual of the Flowering Plants of California 482; Hickman, Ed. 975; Munz, Flora So Calif. 760.

Photo Ref:  Mar-April 01 # 11,12; May-June 01 # 1A; Nov-April 01-02 # 8A, 14A, 15A, 16A, 21A.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.

First Found:  March 2001

Computer Ref: Plant Data 536.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 10/14/04

                                March Photo                                                                             May Photo