About Rubus laciniatus Willd.
Rubus laciniatus Willd. is an evergreen, bramble-forming shrub that grows to 3 meters (10 feet) tall, with prickly shoots. Its leaves are palmately compound, made up of five leaflets; each leaflet is divided into deeply toothed subleaflets with jagged, thorny tips. The flowers have pink or white petals. The fruits of this species are similar to common blackberries, and have a distinctively fruitier flavour. Like other blackberries, this species is not a true berry in a botanical context. Within its genus, this species is unusual for both having deeply divided leaves and 3-lobed petals. The fruits are actively eaten by many animal species, including numerous birds and mammals. Its thick growth of brambles (thickets) provides valuable shelter for animals. This is an introduced species in Australia and North America, and it has become a weed and invasive species in forested habitats across the United States and Canada, especially in the Northeast and along the Pacific Coast, as well as in Australia. Wild Rubus laciniatus has been cultivated for its fruits since 1770. Several commercially important berry-producing cultivars have also been bred from this species.
