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Key to Rubus, Key C: Dewberries

Rosaceae

Rubus

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1 Stems strongly white-glaucous; fruits with 1-5 (-20) drupelets, glaucous
1 Stems not glaucous (or with a slight 'bloom' when young); fruits with (5-) 10-50 drupelets, not glaucous.
  2 Stems primarily armed with narrow-based prickles or even narrower bristles, with or without stout-based prickles as well.
    3 Inflorescence racemiform; bristles of the stem nonglandular (very small glandular hairs may be present)
    3 Inflorescence reduced, normally to a single flower per branch of the floricane; bristles of the stems absent to dense, gland-tipped
  2 Stems armed with stout-based, usually recurved prickles (bristles lacking, though weak, stalked glands may be present); leaf undersurfaces nearly glabrous or softly pubescent; leaves deciduous.
      4 Leaf undersurface thinly hairy, not soft to the touch (when fully developed).
        5 Canes 4-7 mm in diameter, 4-12 dm tall
        5 Canes up to 5 mm in diameter, 2-6 dm tall.
          6 Primocane leaves with prominent venation, leaflets typically plicate, flowers on pedicels < 4 cm long, the inflorescence compact
          6 Primocane leaves with inconspicuous venation, flowers on pedicels often exceeding 4 cm.
             7 Primocane leaves with 3 leaflets; inflorescences with 1 (-3) flowers, 5-8 cm long
             7 Primocane leaves with 3-5 leaflets; inflorescences with 1-12 flowers, 5-20 cm long.
               8 Canes 2-3 mm in diameter; prickles 1-2 mm long; primocane leaves mostly with 3 leaflets; inflorescences with 1-6 flowers
               8 Canes 3-5+ mm in diameter; prickles 2-4 mm long; primocane leaves mostly with 5 leaflets; inflorescences with 4-12 flowers.
                 9 Primocanes with 1-3 prickles per cm of length; tips of central primocane leaflets gradually or relatively long-tapered to the tip
                 9 Primocanes with 3-5 prickles per cm of length; tips of central primocane leaflets abruptly tapered to the tip
      4 Leaf undersurface densely hairy, soft to the touch.
                   10 Inflorescence axes with stalked glands (use 10× magnification).
                     11 Primocane terminal leaflets elliptic, the base cuneate to rounded; inflorescences with 1-2 flowers
                     11 Primocane terminal leaflets ovate to elliptic, the base cordate to subcordate; inflorescences often with > 2 flowers.
                       12 Primocanes with 3-5 prickles per cm of length, primocane terminal leaflets coarsely serrate, ≤ 7 cm long and 4.5 cm wide, ovate to elliptic
                       12 Primocanes with 1-3 prickles per cm of length, primocane terminal leaflets finely serrate, ≥ 7 cm long and 4.5 cm wide, mostly ovate
                   10 Inflorescence axes lacking stalked glands.
                          13 Canes 4-7 mm in diameter, 4-12 dm in height; inflorescences mostly racemose, with 4-8 flowers
                          13 Canes mostly 2.5-5 mm in diameter, 2-6 dm in height; inflorescences not racemose, with flowers clustered near the tip, with 1-7 (-8) flowers.
                            14 Flowers on pedicels < 3.5 cm long, the inflorescence compact
                            14 Flowers on pedicels (at least some of them) > 3.5 cm long, some of the pedicels conspicuously ascending.
                              15 Primocane terminal leaflets with coarsely incised margins; inflorescences usually with just 1 flower; sepals often with an obviously spatulate tip 1-3 mm long
                              15 Primocane terminal leaflets regularly toothed; inflorescences usually with 2-8 flowers; sepals tapered to a sharply pointed tip.
                                16 Primocane terminal leaflets elliptic, rounded at the base
                                16 Primocane terminal leaflets ovate, cordate at the base