brambles

genus Rubus

Member of brambles (tribe Rubeae)
rose family (family Rosaceae)
dicots (class Magnoliopsida)
flowering plants (subphylum Angiospermae)

Except for extremely rare examples that I don't expect to encounter, there are no other wild species of this genus in the bay area.

Key features:

prickle presence and shape
round or 5-angled stem (pentagonal in cross section)
sipules shape
fruit type and color

Although the leaves have general difference, there is enough variety within a species to make them difficult to use as diagnostic tools. In addition, some of the characteristics described by Jepson cannot be seen in CalPhotos.

himalayan blackberry
Rubus armeniacus

Caution: there are two species called himalayan blackberry, but only one of them is found in the bay area.

plant: to 3 m, arched to mounded
prickles: many, stout, wide-based, straight or curved
stem: to 20(25) mm diam, 5-angled, finely hairy or generally glabrous, not glaucous
leaf: simple or compound, leaflets 3(5)
sepals: hairy, nonglandular [example]
fruit: blackberry-type (not hollow when picked), black

whitebark raspberry
Rubus leucodermis

Caution: california blackberry (Rubus ursinus) can also have light-colored forms

plant: arched to mounded
prickles: many, stout, wide-based, straight or generally curved
stem: 4–10 mm diam, not angled, glabrous, strongly glaucous in youth
leaf: simple or compound, leaflets 3 when older or 5 and shallow-3-lobed when younger
sepals: sepals hairy, prickly, ± with stalked glands
fruit: raspberry-type (hollow when picked), red-purple to ± black

salmonberry
Rubus spectabilis

plant 2–4 m, erect
prickles few, ± stout, slender, straight [CalPhotos shows some thick-based]
stem: 3–15 mm diameter, not angled, glabrous, not glaucous
leaf: simple to generally compound, leaflets 3, ± lobed, course-double-toothed
sepals: hairy, ± stalked-glandular
petals: magenta

all others are white

fruit: raspberry-type, ± yellow to orange to red

california blackberry
Rubus ursinus

plant: prostrate to decumbent
prickles: weak, slender, straight
stem: 2–10 mm diam, not angled, ±glabrous to hairy, ±with stalked glands, glaucous
leaf: simple or compound, leaflets 3(5), gray-hairy abaxially
sepals: hairy, prickly, ±with stalked glands [example]
fruit: blackberry-type (not hollow when picked), black

no prickles

thimbleberry
Rubus parviflorus

plant 0.5–2.5 m, erect
no prickles
stem: to 6 mm diam, not angled, glabrous to finely hairy with stalked glands, not glaucous
leaf: simple, palmately (3)5-lobed
stipules: triangular-lanceolate to narrow-ovate, 1.5–3 mm wide

all others are thread-like to linear, ≤ 1 mm wide

sepals hairy, stalked-glandular [example]
fruit: raspberry-type (hollow when picked), red
hosts thimbleberry gallmaker (Diastrophus kincaidii)

thornless elmleaf blackberry
Rubus ulmifolius var. anoplothyrsus

plant to 3 m, erect to arched
no prickles
stem: 5–10 mm diameter, 5-angled, densely short-hairy, may be glaucous
leaf: simple or generally compound, leaflets 3–5
sepals: short-hairy, nonglandular
fruit: blackberry-type, black

Toxicity of june berry (Rubus spp.):
0 – Non-toxic.

5 observed taxons / 1 unobserved taxon / 1 key

Chris’s observations: 173 (144 are research grade)

Locations:

Bear Creek Redwoods OSP: 10
Skyline Ridge OSP: 9
Sweeney Ridge National Recreation Area: 9
Mt. Madonna SP: 8
Murray Ranch SP: 8
Calero CP: 7
Coal Creek OSP: 7
Nisene Marks SP: 7
Russian Ridge OSP: 7
Castle Rock SP: 6
Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP: 6
Windy Hill OSP: 6
Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve: 5
El Corte de Madera OSP: 5
Henry Cowell Redwoods SP - Fall Creek Unit: 5
Sam McDonald CP: 5
Sanborn CP: 5
Stevens Creek CP: 5
Sierra Azul OSP: 4
Wilder Ranch SP: 4
Lake Chabot RP: 3
Picchetti Ranch OSP: 3
San Pedro Valley CP: 3
Butano SP: 2
DeLaveaga Park, Santa Cruz: 2
Five Canyons Open Space: 2
Henry Cowell Redwoods SP: 2
Huckleberry Botanic RP: 2
Jacks Peak CP: 2
Monte Bello OSP: 2
San Bruno Mountain State & County Park: 2
Sibley Volcanic RP: 2
Waterdog Lake & Open Space: 2
Almaden Quicksilver CP
Alpine Rd.
Andrew Molera SP
Big Basin SP
Desolation Wilderness
Dimond Canyon Trail, Oakland
Dr. Aurelia Reinhardt Redwood RP
Ed R. Levin CP
Garin RP
Garrapata SP
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Henry Coe SP
Long Ridge OSP
Mt. Diablo SP
Pinnacles NP
Point Lobos SP

Months:

Jan.: 6
Feb.: 6
Mar.: 5
Apr.: 13
May: 35
Jun.: 34
Jul.: 25
Aug.: 16
Sep.: 13
Oct.: 7
Nov.: 10
Dec.: 3

For more details, use advanced search.

Taxon info: iNaturalist – Calflora – Jepson eFlora – FNA

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora