Rubus glabrior A.Beek, 2021

Beek, Abraham Van De, 2021, Rubi Capenses: a further contribution to the knowledge of the genus Rubus (Rosaceae) in South Africa, Phytotaxa 515 (1), pp. 1-71 : 15-16

4. Rubus glabrior A.Beek nom. nov.

Replaced synonym:— Rubus glaber Cordemoy (1895: 407) , nom. illegit., non R. glaber Miller (1768: 4) . Homotypic synonym:— Rubus apetalus var. glaber (Cordem.) Friedmann (1997: 6) , without basionym date.

Lectotype (designated by Friedmann 1997):— RÉUNION. Salazie, April 1867, Cordemoy s.n. ( MARS). ( Fig. 2A )

Heterotypic synonym:— Rubus pappei Ecklon & Zeyher (1836: 263) ex pt.

Primocane ( Figs 2B–C ) angular, glabrous; prickles 10–15 per 5 cm, hooked, up to 6–7 mm long; stipules linear. Leaves pinnate 5- to 9-foliolate, adaxially glabrous, abaxially with only few short hairs on main nerve; serrature sharp and deep double; petiole glabrous, with 10–20 strong, hooked prickles; central leaflet narrow ovate, acuminate, 42–66 mm long, width–length index 0.45–0.69. Flowering branch angular, glabrous; prickles 2–7 per 5 cm slightly unequal, with 2–5 mm large base, curved, up to 3–5 mm long; stipules linear, 5–7mm. Leaves pinnate 5-foliolate, adaxially glabrous, abaxially with only very few hairs on veins; serrature moderate to coarse, double with triangular to rounded teeth with short mucros; petiole 3–5 cm, glabrous, with 2–10 curved prickles; central leaflet 67–75 mm long, ovate, with attenuate, rounded to cordate base, gradually attenuate into rather long point without distinguishable tip, width–length index 0.59–0.64, length of petiolule 23–26% of length of leaflet. Inflorescence ( Fig. 2D ) with 2 to 3 axillary branches, with leafless pyramidal tip, with thin appressed stellate hairs, and rather many strong compressed curved prickles, pedicels ( Fig. 2E ) thin, 3–11 mm, thinly appressed hairy, with rather numerous rather strong curved prickles. Flowers: sepals narrow, acute to rather long pointed, 1.5–3.0 × 4–9 mm, loosely patent to erect, green or greyish green with white border, with some appressed hairs, with sessile glands, without prickles; petals pinkish red; anthers glabrous; styles red, ovaries glabrous; receptacle glabrous. Fruit orange.

Notes: —The other part (which does not correspond with the type) of the R. pappei collection in L, is glabrous like most members of R. ser. Pinnati of the eastern regions. It is very similar to R. glaber Cordemoy (1895: 407) , which was described from Réunion. Though the distance is large, it is not strange that Rubus species of the islands occur on the continent. The plant collected by Ecklon & Zeyher falls within the range of R. glaber . Therefore, there is no argument to not identify them except by reason of the geographical distance, the more so because collections from Port Shepstone and Port Edward (KwaZulu-Natal) also fall within this range. Obviously, they all belong to the variability of R. glaber . A specimen from Barberton (Mpumalanga) in PRE (10 December1953, Codd 8184,) might also belong to this species.

The precise locality in the Eastern Cape cannot be given because Ecklon & Zeyher list several places on the label. These are all located in the western parts of the Eastern Cape province.

Specimens:— SOUTH AFRICA. KwaZulu-Natal: Port Shepstone, 11 November 1980, Stirton 8204 (2 sheets) ( PRE) ; Port Shepstone, 25 October 1975, Stirton 5640 ( PRE) ; Port Edward, Stirton 8097 ( PRE) .

— RÉUNION. 1837, Lepervanche Mézière s.n, ( P02579797 ) ; Col de Fourche , 28 March 1974, Cadet 4590 ( P02579795 ) ; Salazie, June 1905, D’Aleizette s.n. ( L.1911829) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Rubus glabrior. A. Lectotype. B. Primocane with leaves. C. Primocane. D. Inflorescence. E. Axis and pedicels. Photographs: A. Bruno Vila (MARS); All others by A. van de Beek.