Rubus ellipticus
| Rubus ellipticus | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 15' |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Rubus ellipticus (common name: golden evergreen raspberry)
Propagation: Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°c and is best sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[1].
Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn.
Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn[1].
Cultivation: Easily grown in a good well-drained loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[2][3][1].
This species is not very hardy in Britain, but it tolerates some frost and should succeed outdoors in the south and west of the country[1].
Cultivated for its edible fruit in southern U.S.A[4]. The fruit is sold in local markets in the Himalayas[5][6].
This species has become established and naturalized in some areas of the Andes in S. America, where it is looking as though it could become a serious weed problem.
This species is a raspberry with biennial stems, it produces a number of new stems each year from the perennial rootstock, these stems fruit in their second year and then die[1].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[1].
Range: E. Asia - Himalayas from Pakistan to China, also in S. India and Sri Lanka.
Habitat: Shrubberies and open hillsides, to 2300 metres in the Himalayas[7]. Dry slopes, montane valleys, sparse forests and thickets at elevations of 1000 - 2600 metres[8].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[[4][7][9][6]. A good raspberry-like flavour[10][11][9]. Sweet with a pleasant blend of acidity[5]. he golden yellow fruit is about 10mm in diameter[8]. Annual yields from wild plants in the Himalayas are about 750g from a plant occupying 2.5m²[5]. The fruit contains about 10.9% sugars, 1.1% protein, 0.5% ash, 0.55 pectin[5].
Medicinal: The plant is astringent and febrifuge[6]. A decoction of the root, combined with Girardinia diversifolia root and the bark of Lagerstroemia parviflora, is used in the treatment of fevers[6]. The juice of the root is used in the treatment of fevers, gastric troubles, diarrhoea and dysentery[6]. A paste of the roots is applied externally to wounds[6]. Both the roots and the young shoots are considered to be a good treatment for colic[6].
The leaf buds, combined with Centella asiatica and Cynodon dactylon, are pounded to a juice and used in the treatment of peptic ulcers[6].
The juice of the fruit is used in the treatment of fever, colic, coughs and sore throat[6].
The inner bark is used in Tibetan medicine, it is said to have a sweet and sour flavour plus a heating potency[12]. A renal tonic and antidiuretic, it is used in the treatment of weakening of the senses, vaginal/seminal discharge, polyuria and micturation during sleep[12].
Usage: A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit[13].
The plant is grown to deter soil erosion and is good for soil conservation[6].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Parmar, Chiranjit. Wild Fruits of the Sub-Himalayan Region. Kalyani Publishers, 1982.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Polunin, Oleg and Adam Stainton. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press, 1984.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Gamble, James. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1972.
- ↑ Gupta, Basant. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press, 1945.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Tsarong, Tsewang. Tibetan Medicinal Plants. Tibetan Medical Publications, 1994.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.