Common name: Blackberry
Rubus leightonii Lees ex F.M.Leight. APNI* 
Description: Arching semi-deciduous shrub to 2 m high but generally less unless growing through other vegetation. Forms dense thickets. Primocane stems bluntly angled with faces not furrowed, with or without tufted hairs and with scattered longer glandular hairs, prickles to 5 mm long, mainly on angles, rooting at apex. Floricane similar to primocane.
Primocane leaves consisting of 3 or rarely 5 leaflets (sometimes some joined); mature mid primocane leaflets sparsely to moderately felted below, terminal leaflet usually largest, mostly 3.5–6.5 cm long and 2–3.5 cm wide, petiole 2.5–6 cm long. Floricane leaves consisting of 3 leaflets or with 1 or 2 leaflet leaves towards and amongst inflorescence, lower surface of mid floricane leaflets similar to lower surface of mid primocane leaflets, lower surface of lower floricane leaflets may be less hairy, terminal leaflet mostly 3–6 cm long and 2–4 cm wide, petiole 1.8–5.5 cm long.
Inflorescence a cylindrical terminal panicle of flowers. Sepals mostly without prickles. Petals to 12–16 mm long, 7–10 mm wide, elliptic, pink although may fade to white with age, not crumpled. Stamens longer than styles.
Fruit ± globose, initially green, ripening red, maturing black.
Flowering: mainly late spring and summer.
Distribution and occurrence: appears to be shade tolerant and is common in pine forests. Native of Britain and northern France. Found in grasslands to forests, most common on the Central Tablelands.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *CT
Introduced for its edible fruit but now a serious weed of agriculture, forestry and the environment. This species is part of the Rubus fruticosus L. species aggregate. Southern occurrences of this species in New South Wales around Robertson give a different DNA fingerprint to other occurrences of the species (from around 46 km south of Oberon and to the north), but the taxa do not appear to be morphologically different.
Text by John Hosking
Taxon concept: Evans et al., Australian Systematic Botany 20: 187-251 (2007). Previously described by G.J. Harden & A.N. Rodd, Flora of NSW 1 (1990).
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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