Rubus swinhoei Hance

Shrubs scandent, 1–4 m tall, deciduous or semievergreen. Branchlets brown to purplish brown, terete, slender, shortly gray tomentose at first, glabrescent, with few to many curved prickles 1–3 mm. Leaves simple; petiole 5–10(–15) mm, gray tomentose, sometimes with curved minute prickles; stipules caducous, ovate-oblong to ovate-lanceolate, 5–8 × 3–4 mm, membranous, slightly hairy, margin entire or serrate apically; blade ovate to oblong-lanceolate, 5–11 × 2.5–5 cm, veins raised abaxially, slightly impressed adaxially, papery, abaxially gray tomentose, or subglabrous, hairs usually persistent on sterile branchlets, flowering and fruiting branchlets glabrate, with sparse, curved small prickles along midvein, adaxially glabrous except pubescent along midvein, base rounded or truncate to shallowly cordate, margin unevenly serrate to doubly serrate, rarely incised, apex acuminate. Inflorescences terminal, short racemes, 5–8 cm, (1- or)5–7-flowered, or flowers several in clusters; rachis and pedicels tomentose-villous, with sparse, needle-like prickles, with intermixed purplish brown glandular hairs 1–3 mm; bracts caducous, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 4–6 mm, sparsely villous, margin entire or serrate apically. Pedicel 1–3 cm. Flowers 1–1.5 cm in diam. Calyx abaxially gray tomentose-villous, with intermixed purplish brown glandular hairs 1–3 mm; sepals reflexed in fruit, ovate to triangular-ovate, 5–8 × 2.5–4.5 mm, margin entire, apex acute to shortly acuminate. Petals white, broadly obovate to suborbicular, 5–7 × 4–6 mm, both surfaces thinly pubescent, base shortly clawed, apex obtuse, undulate. Stamens many; filaments inflated basally, glabrous. Pistils much longer than stamens; style and ovary glabrous. Aggregate fruit purplish black at maturity, globose, 1–1.5 cm in diam., with many drupelets, glabrous; pyrenes distinctly rugose. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Jul–Aug. 2n = 28*.

Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Zhejiang [Japan (Ryukyu Islands)].

Mixed forests, thickets, slopes, valleys, stream sides; 300--1500 m.

Rubus adenanthus Finet & Franchet; R. adenotrichopodus Hayata; R. hupehensis Oliver; R. swinhoei var. hupehensis (Oliver) F. P. Metcalf.