R. ellipticus is a stout, weakly climbing, evergreen shrub 1–3 m tall. Branchlets purplish brown or brownish, pubescent, with sparse, curved prickles and dense, purplish brown bristles or glandular hairs. Leaves imparipinnate, 3-foliolate;petiole 2–6 cm, petiolule of terminal leaflet 2–3 cm, lateral leaflets subsessile, petiolule and rachis purplish red bristly, pubescent, with minute prickles;stipules linear, 7–11 mm, pubescent, with intermixed glandular hairs;blade of leaflets elliptic or obovate, 4–8(–12) × 3–6(–9) cm, terminal leaflet much larger than lateral leaflets, abaxially densely tomentose, with purplish red bristles along prominent veins, adaxially veins impressed, pubescent along midvein, base rounded, margin unevenly minute sharply serrate, apex acute, abruptly pointed, shallowly cordate, or subtruncate. Inflorescences terminal, dense glomerate racemes, (1.5–)2–4 cm, flowers several to 10 or more, or flowers several in clusters in leaf axils, rarely flowers solitary;rachis and pedicels pubescent, bristly;bracts linear, 5–9 mm, pubescent. Pedicel 4–6 mm. Flowers 1–1.5 cm in diameter. Calyx abaxially pubescent, intermixed yellowish tomentose, sparsely bristly;sepals erect, ovate, 4–5(–6) × 2–3(–4) mm, abaxially densely yellowish gray tomentose, apex acute and abruptly pointed. Petals white or pink, spatulate, longer than sepals, margin premorse, densely pubescent, base clawed. Stamens numerous, shorter than petals;filaments broadened and flattened basally. Ovary pubescent;styles glabrous, slightly longer than stamens. Aggregate fruit golden yellow, subglobose, approximately 1 cm in diameter, glabrous or drupelets pubescent at apex;pyrenes triangular-ovoid, densely rugulose (Wagner et al., 1999;Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2015).
Related invasive species
- Rubus ellipticus
Related Farm Practice
- Orchards
- Flora
- Farmers
- Hosts
- Control
Related location
- India
The invasiveness of the thorny shrub R. ellipticus has been most thoroughly documented on the island of Hawaii. Since the first report of its escape from cultivation in 1961, this species has become established in mid-elevation forest and pastureland, forming tall, dense thickets. Seeds are sufficiently viable following passage through the digestive systems of birds and mammals to readily germinate in pastureland and undisturbed forest sites where they are deposited. Several introduced frugivorous birds and feral mammals, are capable of dissemination of seeds via ingestion of the succulent fruit and birds in particular, are able to carry seeds to adjacent sites. It can also spread by suckers and resprouts vigorously after fire. The ability to colonize undisturbed native forests and displace native species is cause for alarm among resource managers of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and other natural reserves of Hawaii, comprised of highly ecologically sensitive systems. It has been listed as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive alien species (Lower et al., 2000), and is a prohibited species in South Africa (NEMBA Category 1a).
R. ellipticus encroaches upon rice fields in China and elsewhere in Asia if farmers do not manually control this bramble. R. ellipticus invades apple, and other temperate fruit orchards in India (Misra and Sharma, 1970;Misra and Singh, 1972). Its weedy habit is particularly evident in Hawaii where it aggressively colonizes cleared pastureland and encroaches into native forests, forming tall, dense thickets.