NEW SOUTH WALES FLORA ONLINE

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Description: Erect shrub to 2 m high. Primocane stems almost channelled on dry specimens, with no or sparse non-glandular pilose hairs mixed with many sessile dark glands, prickles 2–6 mm long, mainly on angles. Flowering stems from the leaf axils of the floricane.

Primocane leaves consisting of 5 leaflets; mature mid primocane leaves with sparse pilose hairs below, mostly on veins, terminal leaflet usually largest, mostly 6.5–8 cm long and 3.5–5 cm wide, petiole 5–7.5 cm long. Floricane leaves at base of flowering stems consisting of 3 leaflets, lower surface of leaflets with sparse pilose hairs, terminal leaflet mostly 3.5–8 cm long and 1.5–7.2 cm wide, petiole 1.5–6.5 cm long.

Inflorescence subcorymbose with 4–9 flowers. The first formed flowers usually solitary in the leaf axils of 3-leaflet leaves. Sepals with prickles. Petals 14–20 mm long, 8–15 mm wide, broadly elliptic, white, not crumpled. Stamens longer than styles.

Fruit ovoid to oblong, initially green, ripening red, maturing black.

Flowering: mainly late spring and summer.

Distribution and occurrence: only known from near Cooma and Bago State Forest near Batlow. Native of north-eastern U.S.A.

Found in grasslands to forests.
NSW subdivisions: *ST

AVH map***

Differs from Rubus laudatus in that the inflorescences are more racemose than corymbose (lower peduncles shorter), less serrate leaf margins and rare long glandular hairs in upper parts of pedicels. R. philadelphicus also grows in cooler areas than R. laudatus. Primocanes may be just emerging from the soil at the time that floricanes with flowers are present. Rarely recorded as naturalised. Introduced for its edible fruit.