Rubus riograndis
Family: Rosaceae
Plant Description: Evergreen woody-based perennial or subshrub with many curved prickles on stems. Stems to 1 m or longer. Leaves 3- to 5- foliolate, the leaflets ovate or obovate, 1-8 cm long, alternate, compound with 3 leaflets with toothed margins. Flowers mostly solitary, radial. Petals 5, 10-15 mm long, white. Fruit 1-2 cm long, red when unripe but turns to black when ripe.
Plant Trivia: Flowers attractive, fruits edible. Flower resembles old fashioned roses. Spanish name translates as “blackberry.”
Field Identification:
Occurrence: Common along streams and occasionally along ravines, and in oak mottes and coastal woods.
Bloom Period: March – May
Plant Use: Sweet fruit for human jams, jellies, cobblers, etc. Food for mammals and birds.
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