''Rubus leviculus'' is a rare North American species of
brambles
A bramble is any rough, tangled, prickly shrub, usually in the genus ''Rubus'', which grows blackberries, raspberries, or dewberries. "Bramble" is also used to describe other prickly shrubs, such as roses (''Rosa'' species). The fruits inclu ...
in the
rose family
Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera.
The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are '' Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...
. It has been found only in scattered locations in the eastern and central United States.
[Bailey, Liberty Hyde 1943. Gentes Herbarum; Occasional Papers on the Kinds of Plants 5(5): 390–392, figure 176]
The genetics of ''Rubus'' is extremely complex, so that it is difficult to decide on which groups should be recognized as species. There are many rare species with limited ranges such as this. Further study is suggested to clarify the taxonomy.
Flora of North America, ''Rubus'' Linnaeus, 1754. Bramble
/ref>
References
External links
photo of herbariumn specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden, collected in Missouri in 2008
leviculus
Plants described in 1943
Flora of the United States
{{rubus-stub