Rubus fruticosus
La ronce à feuilles d’orme
Elm-leaved Bramble
Additional information
| Plant family | |
|---|---|
| Area | Provence Verte |
| Flower colour | white, pink |
| Flower size | 20-32 mm |
| Flowering months | May, June, July |
| Leaf type | Elliptic |
| Height | 2 m |
Description
A variable scrambling bramble which forms large thickets, giving a necessary refuge to wildlife. Invasive, once established it sends out runners covering several metres of soil.
There are 50 species in France, 3 in the Mediterranean area. The roots were used as a source for black ink. Charcoal, made from the wood, was used to fill gun-powder cartridges.
Flowers
Rubus caesius: flowers white,
Rubus ulmifolius: flowers bright light pink,
Rubus tomentosus: flowers white-yellow.
Leaves
Elliptic oval leaf. Rubus ulmifolius: leaves in the shape of an elm leaf, hence the name in Latin, English and French.
Rubus tomentosus: leaves soft, white underneath.
Fruits Seeds
Drupe: an aggregate of drupelets, outer fleshy parts surround a pit with a seed inside. Rubus caesius: bluish fruit, acidic in taste.
Edible
Blackberries are used for culinary purposes in jellies, pies, syrups, sorbets and by fermenting the berries, as in ‘vin de mure’.
Medical
Berries rich in Vitamins A and C, sugars, pectin, tannin and mineral salts. An infusion of the leaves treats diarrhoea, the infusion resembling thé vert.
Buds: an infusion of the buds is used as a gargle to treat a sore throat.
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