Taxonomy
Family: Rosaceae
Habitat
Dry, sandy or rocky soils; pockets of soil on ledges and cliffs.
Associates
Distribution
Eastern Canada west to MN, south to GA and AR.
Morphology
Woody perennial; primocanes prostrate or low-arching, not glaucous, often rooting at the tips; stems armed with stout, straight or hooked prickles from an expanded base; bristles lacking but minute glandular hairs may be present. Leaflets 3(5), oblanceolate to obovate, widest well above the middle, densely and and closely white or gray tomentose beneath; terminal leaflet of trifoliate floricane leaves broadly rounded to subcordate at the base and sharply acute to long-acuminate at the apex. Inflorescence leafy, flowers solitary and terminal or 2-5; pedicels elongate and erect, those of the lower flowers subtended by a trifoliate leaf or by a simple leaf with an expanded base. Fruit a cluster of drupelets remaining attached to the receptacle, black at maturity, sour.
Notes
Flowers May to June
Wetland indicator: FACU
Photographed at the Oak Openings in Ohio.
References
Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY
Michael Hough © 2014 |