Rubus polyanthemus Lindeb.
(C.J.W., D.R.G.)
Semi-erect, scrambling shrub; primocanes arching, reddish, sharply angled and ± flat between, with some subsessile glands and almost glabrous to sparsely clothed in simple and stellate hairs; armature of many, stout, erect prickles mostly on angles. Young stems moderately hairy and densely glandular. Leaflets 5, sparsely to moderately pilose on upper surface, pilose on veins and sparsely to moderately tomentose between on lower surface, serrate; terminal leaflet lamina elliptic-obovate, acuminate, 50-85 × 40-60 mm, with petiolule ⅓-⅜ length of lamina. Stipules narrow-lanceolate. Infl. densely hairy, with subsessile and usually a few long-stalked glands. Sepals long-acuminate, tomentose and with longer simple hairs, mostly with pricklets. Petals rounded to slightly notched, ± smooth, pale pink. Anthers glabrous.
S.: Southland (Southland Plains and Ohai); Ch.
Europe 1988
Roadsides, damp pasture and scrub.
FL Dec-Feb.
R. polyanthemus is somewhat variable in lf indumentum; usually the leaflets are densely tomentose on the lower surface, though not white-tomentose as in R. ulmifolius and R. procerus. Sometimes the mature primocane lvs are only sparsely tomentose. The infl. and sepals usually have a few long-stalked glandular hairs although R. polyanthemus belongs to a group of sp. that normally lack such hairs. In this character it is very similar to R. vestitus, but is distinguished by the narrower leaflets which are convex when fresh, and the less hairy reddish stems. In Britain, the primocane lvs sometimes have 6 or 7 leaflets but only 5-foliolate lvs are represented in N.Z. collections.
