Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Rosales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Rubus canadensis
FAMILY
Rosaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Thornless Blackberry at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Rubus canadensis
FAMILY
Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Rubus canadensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 097-05-010:
Rubus canadensis FAMILY Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Rubus canadensis
COMMON NAME:
Smooth Blackberry, Thornless Blackberry
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_ruca16_001_lvd
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Suzanne Foster / USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / US Forest Service pnd_ruca16_002_lhd
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / US Forest Service pnd_ruca16_003_lhp
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JK Marlow jkm120505_959
May Rabun County GA
Chattahoochee National Forest
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JK Marlow jkm120523_224
May Graham County NC
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
Glabrous, weakly armed, and found in higher elevations, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).
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JK Marlow jkm120523_231
May Graham County NC
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
Primocanes [1st-year, usually flowerless canes] have leaves with 5 leaflets, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
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JK Marlow jkm120523_238
May Graham County NC
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
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JK Marlow jkm200517_4920
May Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
Floricanes [canes that flower and fruit) have leaves with 3 leaflets, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm200517_4925
May Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
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JK Marlow s120523
May Graham County NC
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
Primocane leaflets w attenuate to caudate apices, glabrous (or nearly) beneath, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm140607_502
June Jackson County NC
Whiteside Mountain
Similar to R. argutus, whose petals are 2-2.5cm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
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JK Marlow jkm140607_505
June Jackson County NC
Whiteside Mountain
Similar to R. argutus, whose sepals are 4-6mm long, densely pubescent, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
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JK Marlow jkm140607_508
June Jackson County NC
Whiteside Mountain
)
JK Marlow jkm200625_6026
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm200625_6027
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm200625_6031
June Transylvania County NC
DuPont State Forest
)
JK Marlow jkm150814_813
August Jackson County NC
Whiteside Mountain
Aggregate often smaller than that of R. argutus, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm201113_8222
November Greenville County SC
Caesars Head State Park
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Rubus canadensis
FAMILY
Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Rubus canadensis
FAMILY
Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Rubus canadensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 097-05-010:
Rubus canadensis
FAMILY
Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Rubus canadensis
2603
Shrub
Perennial
Habitat: forests, woodlands, grassy balds, especially common at high elevations, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in Carolina Mountains, uncommon in GA Mountains
Click here to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Stems armed with (at most) a few weak prickles, or sometimes nearly lacking
LEAVES:
Compound: floricanes 3 leaflets/ primocanes 5 leaflets
Alternate
FLOWER:
Summer
White
Radially symmetrical
5 sepals
5 petals
Numerous stamens
FRUIT:
Summer
Black
Aggregate of drupelets
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p068
- Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance) p06
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p309