About Rubus squarrosus Fritsch
Bush lawyer is the common name for a group of climbing blackberry plants in subgenus Micranthobatus of the genus Rubus, native to New Zealand. All five endemic New Zealand bush lawyer species share the Māori language name tātarāmoa. This plant has hooked thorns that snag clothing and rip or prick skin. The English common name is often said to come from the fact that once this thorny plant attaches to you, it will not let go until it draws blood. Rubus squarrosus Fritsch is one of these endemic New Zealand bush lawyer species, though the common name bush lawyer is most widely associated with Rubus cissoides in New Zealand. This thorny vine grows throughout New Zealand at elevations up to 1000m. It has hand-shaped leaves with three to five toothed leaflets ('fingers'), white flowers, and yellowish-red fruit shaped like a small blackberry. Early Europeans once used this berry to make jams and jellies. The plant's most noticeable feature is its thorns. Backward-pointing prickles on its stems help the vine climb up to a forest's open canopy, and also snare unwary trampers who stray from walking tracks. You will immediately recognize bush lawyer when you encounter it, as the thorns will painfully scrape across your bare thighs or arms and quickly draw blood. Just as the common name suggests, once the plant gets a hold of you, it does not let go easily.
