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Home , Rubus arcticus

Scientific Name: arcticus L. ssp. acaulis (Michx.) Focke Family: Common Names: dwarf raspberry, arctic blackberry, arctic bramble

Seed: 2.5 to 3 mm x 4 to 5 mm (USDA NRCS n.d.); seeds have an extremely hard seed coat, 0.225 mm thick (Wada and Reed 2011).

Habitat and Distribution Wet woods, thickets, meadows, peatlands, widespread across boreal forest and northern parkland (Johnson et al. 1995). Soil: Coarse textured soils, with a pH 5 to 7. No tolerance to drought, salinity or shade (USDA NRCS 2012). Distribution: Circumpolar. , Yukon, western District of Mackenzie to Hudson Bay, northern Quebec, Newfoundland south to British Columbia, Montana, Colorado, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Minnesota, southern Quebec, Gaspe (Moss 1983).

Phenology Flowering occurs from June to July with berries appearing July to August (Ladyman 2006).

Pollination Illustration of Rubus arcticus including flower, fruit and leaf Insect pollinated; flowers reported to be self- morphology. incompatible (Ladyman 2006).

Genetics Description 2n=14 (Moss 1983). Low, somewhat tufted perennial from slender creeping rhizomes; flowering stems erect, 5 to 15 cm Symbiosis tall, finely hairy; 2 to 4 leaves round to heart shaped Forms vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal associations in outline, compound; 3 leaflets, rounded, coarsely (Vestberg 1992). toothed, more or less hairy; flowers usually single; showy, pink to reddish pink; petals distinctly Seed Processing narrowed at base (Johnson et al. 1995). Collection: Berries should be collected as soon as Fruit: Fleshly red drupelets in spherical clusters of they are ripe to avoid losses by wildlife consumption 20 to 30 (raspberry) about 1 cm across (Johnson et al. (Young and Young 1992). 1995); 1 to 2 aggregates (raspberries) per plant. Seed Weight: Approximately 1.69 g/1,000 seeds (USDA NRCS n.d.). 2.2 g/1,000 seeds (Wada and Reed 2011).

Average Seed/Fruit: 25 seeds per fruit (Bonner and Karrfalt 2008). Harvest Dates: July through August (Ladyman 2006). Cleaning: Maceration and floatation to recover seeds; dry completely before storing (Young and Young 1992). Storage Behaviour: Likely orthodox; dry seed to low relative humidity prior to cold storage. Storage: Seeds should be dried and stored at low temperatures (Young and Young 1992). Longevity: Rubus spp. remain viable in the soil seed Seeds of Rubus arcticus bank for long periods of time (Ladyman 2006) and studies have shown no loss in viability after 26 years of storage (Bonner and Karrfalt 2008). Aboriginal/Food Uses Propagation Food: Berries can be collected and eaten fresh or Natural Regeneration: By seeds and by rhizomes made in to jam (Marles et al. 2000). (Ladyman 2006). Germination: Germination is low, less than 40% Wildlife/Forage Usage (Ladyman 2006, Wada and Reed 2011). Wildlife: Young growth, berries and leaves are eaten Germination is epigeal (Young and Young 1992). utilized by game (Tannas 1997). Pre-treatment: Seed requires stratification ( for Livestock: Not used by livestock if other food a Future n.d.). Stored seed requires one-month sources are available (Tannas 1997). stratification at about 3°C and is best sown as early as Grazing Response: Increaser, resistant to moderate possible in the year (Plants for a Future n.d.). browsing (Tannas 1997). Sulfuric acid scarification of 30 min is recommended for the small seeded raspberries (Rubus idaeus L., Reclamation Potential Rubus occidentalis L.) and up to 3 h for the larger Rubus spp. have been shown to do well after seeded Rubus spp. (Wada and Reed 2011). disturbances, especially fire, and are good for erosion Direct Seeding: Rubus spp. are best grown under a control and slope stabilization (Bonner and Karrfalt thin layer of soil and mulch (Young and Young 2008). 1992). Rubus arcticus is sensitive to low moisture levels and Planting Density: 790 to 3,190 plants/ha (USDA compacted soils (Ladyman 2006). NRCS n.d.). Vegetative Propagation: Division in early spring or Commercial Resources just before leaf-fall in the autumn (Plants for a Future Availability: Not cultivated in Alberta; propagules n.d.). Larger divisions can be planted out direct into must be collected from native populations. their permanent positions (Plants for a Future n.d.). Cultivars: There are two commercially-propagated Plants for a Future (n.d.) found it best to pot up the clones only in for use mainly in the liqueur smaller divisions and grow them in a lightly shaded industry they are not suitable for reclamation position in a cold frame, planting them out once they (Lindqvist 1998). are well established in the summer. Micro-propagation: Can be micro-propagated (Lindqvist et al. 1998).

Notes ch_topic=TSN&search_value=524632 [Last Synonyms Cylactis arctica ssp. acaulis, Rubus accessed October 24, 2013]. acaulis, Rubus arcticus var. acaulis (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center 2007). Johnson, D., L. Kershaw, A. MacKinnon and J. There are three subspecies of Rubus arcticus – Rubus Pojar, 1995. Plants of the western boreal forest and arcticus ssp. acaulis, Rubus arcticus ssp. arcticus and aspen parkland. Lone Pine Publishing and the Rubus arcticus ssp. stellatus (ITIS n.d.) which Canadian Forest Service, Edmonton, Alberta. hybridise between each other as well as with 392 pp. R. pubescens (Moss 1983). Rubus arcticus is listed as 97% intact (less Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 2007. Rubus occurrences than expected) in the Alberta oil sands arcticus L. ssp. acaulis (Michx.) Focke Dwarf region (Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute raspberry. IN: Native Plant Database. University of 2014). Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. Rubus sp. can live 15 years or more depending on http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RU area (Bonner and Karrfalt 2008). ARA2 [Last accessed October 24, 2013].

Photo Credits Ladyman, J.A.R., 2006. Rubus arcticus L. Photo: Tracey Slotta @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS ssp. acaulis (Michaux) Focke (dwarf raspberry): A Database. technical conservation assessment. USDA Forest Line Diagram: Rubus arcticus L. from Bilder ur Service, Rocky Mountain Region. 76 pp. Nordens Flora. Public Domain. (1917-1926). http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/projects/scp/assessments/rubu sarcticussspacaulis.pdf [Last accessed October 8, References 2013]. Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, 2014. The status of biodiversity in the oil sands region of Lindqvist, H., H. Koponen and J.P.T. Valkonen, Alberta. Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, Edmonton, Alberta. 47 pp. 1998. Peronospora sparsa on cultivated Rubus http://www.abmi.ca/FileDownloadServlet?filename= arcticus and its detection by PCR based on ITS The%20Status%20of%20Biodiversity%20in%20the sequences. Plant Disease 82: 1304-1311. %20Oil%20Sands%20Region%20of%20Alberta_201 4_Supplemental%20Report.docx&dir=REPORTS_U Marles, R.J., C. Clavelle, L. Monteleone, N. Tays and PLOAD [Last accessed June 16, 2014]. D. Burns, 2000. Aboriginal plant use in Canada’s Bonner, F.T. and R.P Karrfalt, 2008. Rubus L. northwest boreal forest. Natural Resources Canada IN: The woody plant seed manual. United States and Canadian Forest Service. UBC Press, Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Handbook Vancouver, British Columbia. 368 pp. 727. pp. 984-996. http://www.uri.edu/cels/ceoc/documents/WoodyPlant Moss, E.H., 1983. . R. arcticus L. Dwarf raspberry. SeedManual-Complete.pdf [Last accessed October IN: Flora of Alberta. A manual of flowering plants, 24, 2013]. conifers, ferns, and fern allies found growing without cultivation in the province of Alberta, Canada. 2nd ITIS (International Taxonomic Information System), edition. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, n.d. Rubus arcticus ssp. acaulis (Michx.) Focke. Ontario. p. 366. IN: Integrated taxonomic information system on-line database. Plants for a Future, n.d. Rubus arcticus - L. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?sear IN: Plants For A Future, Dawlish, Devon, UK.

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Rub Vestberg, M., 1992. The effect of growth substrate us+arcticus [Last accessed October 24, 2013]. and fertilizer on the growth and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal infection of three hosts. Agricultural Tannas, K., 1997. Common plants of the western Science in Finland 1(1): 95-105. rangelands. Volume 1 – Grasses, grass-like species, trees and shrubs. Lethbridge Community College, Wada, S. and B.M. Reed, 2011. Optimized Lethbridge, Alberta. 311 pp. scarification protocols improve germination of diverse Rubus germplasm. Scientia Horticulturae USDA NRCS, n.d. Rubus arcticus L. ssp. acaulis 130: 660-664. (Michx.) Focke dwarf raspberry. IN: The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Young, J.A. and C.G. Young, 1992. Seeds of woody Louisiana. plants in North America. Dioscorides Press, http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=RUARA2 Portland, . 407 pp. [Last accessed October 24, 2013].