Click the number at the start of a key lead to highlight both that lead and its corresponding lead. Click again to show only the two highlighted leads. Click a third time to return to the full key with the selected leads still highlighted.

Key to Rubus, Key A: Raspberries

Copy permalink to share | Check for keys that lead to this key

1 Stems creeping to trailing, 1-3 dm tall; petals 4-7 mm long, pink  Rubus parvifolius

1 Stems arching to erect, 5-25 (-30) dm tall; petals either 5-15 (-18) mm long, white, or 4-6 mm long, white or pink (R. phoenicolasius).

2 Floricane leaves pinnately (3-) 5-9-foliolate; aggregate fruit with 50-100 drupelets  Rubus illecebrosus

2 Floricane leaves 1-3-foliolate; aggregate fruit with 10-60 drupelets.

3 Inflorescence paniculiform, many-flowered; berries sticky, purplish-red, lacking a glaucous bloom  Rubus phoenicolasius

3 Inflorescence corymbiform, few-flowered; berries not sticky, black or red (rarely purplish or yellow), with a glaucous bloom.

Show caption*© Gary P. Fleming       4 Fruit black (rarely yellow); pedicels with stout curved prickles; stems (at least the primocanes) strongly white-glaucous  Rubus occidentalis

4 Fruit red (rarely purple or yellow); pedicels with narrow straight bristles and sometimes also glandular hairs; stems green.

5 Leaves green, sparsely soft-hairy beneath; inflorescences with 1 (-3)-flowers  Rubus hirsutus

5 Leaves densely white-tomentose beneath; inflorescences with (1-) 3-7 (-20) flowers.

6 Inflorescence without glandular hairs or gland-tipped bristles; [exotic, cultivated, sometimes escaped or persistent]  Rubus idaeus

6 Inflorescence with glandular hairs and gland-tipped bristles; [native, Mountains of NC and VA northwards]  Rubus strigosus var. strigosus