Register      Login
Australian Systematic Botany Australian Systematic Botany Society
Taxonomy, biogeography and evolution of plants
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > SB > SB06044
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 20(3)

Systematics of the Rubus fruticosus aggregate (Rosaceae) and other exotic Rubus taxa in Australia

Katherine J. Evans A B F , David E. Symon C , Molly A. Whalen D , John R. Hosking A E , Robyn M. Barker C and Julie A. Oliver A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, PMBI, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.

B Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research, University of Tasmania, New Town Research Laboratories, 13 St Johns Avenue, New Town, Tas. 7008, Australia.

C State Herbarium of South Australia, Plant Biodiversity Centre, Department of Environment and Heritage, PO Box 2732, Kent Town, SA 5071, Australia.

D School of Biological Sciences, The Flinders University of South Australia, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.

E NSW Department of Primary Industries, 4 Marsden Park Road, Calala, NSW 2340, Australia.

F Corresponding author. Email: Kathy.Evans@dpiw.tas.gov.au

Australian Systematic Botany 20(3) 187-251 https://doi.org/10.1071/SB06044
Submitted: 30 November 2006  Accepted: 15 February 2007   Published: 22 June 2007

Abstract

Exotic Rubus taxa in Australia have been revised following consultation with European and North American experts in Rubus, allied with studies of variation in patterns of DNA restriction fragments and morphology. Many of these taxa have names that are applied for the first time in Australia (prefaced with a †). The major focus of the work was the Rubus fruticosus L. aggregate and taxa of this aggregate covered here are R. anglocandicans A. Newton, R. cissburiensis W.C. Barton & Ridd., †R. echinatus Lindl., †R. erythrops Edees & A. Newton, R. laciniatus Willd., R. leightonii Lees ex Leight. †R. leucostachys Schleich. ex Sm., †R. phaeocarpus W.C.R. Watson, R. polyanthemus Lindeb., †R. riddelsdellii Rilstone, †R. rubritinctus W.C.R. Watson, R. ulmifolius Schott (including R. ulmifolius var. ulmifolius and †R. ulmifolius var. anoplothyrsus Sudre), and R. vestitus Weihe, along with two undescribed taxa, Rubus sp. Scott Creek (D.E. Symon 16504) and Rubus sp. Tasmania (J.R. Hosking 1551). Other naturalised taxa are R. alceifolius Poir., R. ellipticus Sm., R. idaeus L., †R. laudatus A. Berger, †R. loganobaccus L.H. Bailey, †R. philadelphicus Blanch., R. roribaccus (L.H. Bailey) Rydb. and R. rugosus Sm. Patterns of morphological and molecular variation among individuals of the R. fruticosus agg. in Australia were examined. In phenetic analyses based on examination of 137 herbarium specimens and 27 morphological characters, taxa showed varying degrees of separation. Some taxa, for example R. anglocandicans and the two varieties of R. ulmifolius, formed distinct groups in these analyses whereas there was considerable overlap among individuals of other species. Fifty M13/HaeIII DNA-banding patterns (phenotypes) were identified among 198 collections from the R. fruticosus agg. across Australia. Thirty-five DNA phenotypes were correlated with 15 taxa of the R. fruticosus agg.; the remaining 15 DNA types correlated poorly or were determined with only a moderate level of confidence. R. anglocandicans, R. echinatus, R. leightonii, R. leucostachys, R. sp. Tasmania, R. ulmifolius and R. vestitus had two or more DNA phenotypes whereas only one DNA phenotype was observed for the remaining eight taxa. Taxa that were more distinct with respect to their DNA phenotypes also tended to be more distinct with respect to morphology based on a Mantel matrix correlation test. Within taxa that were difficult to tell apart morphologically, those sharing the same DNA phenotype were considered members of the same Rubus taxon. These results are discussed in the context of the evolution and ecology of the R. fruticosus agg. in Australia and in relation to the incomplete taxonomy of Rubus in Europe and North America.


Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management (Weeds CRC), under the directorship of Professor Richard T. Roush. Ms Julie Oliver was an honours student funded by the Weeds CRC. Dr David E. Symon, an honorary associate of the State Herbarium of South Australia, made a significant voluntary contribution. We thank Mrs Judith Symon for assisting David Symon in the collection of Rubus in South Australia and Tasmania; Ms Beth Chandler for all of the taxon illustrations and Mr Gilbert Dashorst for Figs 12 and 13 (State Herbarium of South Australia, AD) for illustrations and drawings; the directors of BRI, CANB, HO, MEL, NSW and PERTH for lending material; Dr Duncan Mackay (Flinders University) for assistance with numerical analyses; Ms Katherine Lockwood (Flinders University) for assistance with data collection and testing the Lucid key; Dr Hilde Nybom (The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) for help in interpreting DNA analyses; Ms Midori K. Jones (University of Adelaide), Mr Eligio Bruzzese and Mr Franz A. Mahr (Department of Primary Industries, Victoria) for assistance in the collection and propagation of material, and numerous co-operators from Agriculture Western Australia; Conservation and Land Management, WA; Water and Rivers Commission, WA; CSIRO Division of Entomology and Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Tasmania. We are indebted to European and American botanists who provided names for the Rubus species concerned but would particulary like to thank H. E. Weber and A. Newton for their time in providing names for members of the R. fruitcosus agg. We are also grateful to the reviewers for comments that improved this large manuscript and for their rapidity in providing these.


References


Alice LA, Eriksson T, Eriksson B, Campbell CS (2001) Hybridization and gene flow between distantly related species of Rubus (Rosaceae): Evidence from nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region sequences. Systematic Botany 26, 769–778. [Verified 23 March 2007]

Antonius-Klemola K (1999) Molecular markers in Rubus (Rosaceae) research and breeding. Journal of Horticultural Science & Biotechnology 74, 149–160. [Verified 23 March 2007]

Bean AR (1995) Revision of Rubus subgenus Micranthobatus (Fritsch) Kalkman (Rosaceae) in Australia. Austrobaileya 4, 321–328. [Verified 23 March 2007]

Crane MB (1940) The origin of new forms in Rubus II, the Loganberry R. loganobaccus L.H. Bailey. Journal of Genetics 40, 129–140. [Verified 23 March 2007]

Gustafsson A (1942) The genesis of the European blackberry flora. Acta Universitatis Lundensis 39, 1–200. open url image1

Harden GJ , Rodd AN (1990) Rubus. In ‘Flora of New South Wales. Vol. 1’. (Ed. GJ Harden.) pp. 530–535. (New South Wales University Press: Kensington)

Henderson L (2001) Rubus fruticosus L. agg. In ‘Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute Handbook No. 12’. p. 129. (Agricultural Research Council, LNR: South Africa)

Heslop-Harrison Y (1968) Rubus. In ‘Flora Europaea. Vol. 2’. (Eds TG Tutin, VH Heywood, NA Burges, DM Moore, DH Valentine, SM Walters, DA Webb) pp. 7–25. (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge)

Howarth DG, Gardner DE, Morden CW (1997) Phylogeny of Rubus subgenus Idaeobatus (Rosaceae) and its implications toward colonization of the Hawaiian Islands. Systematic Botany 22, 433–441.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

James R, Lockwood M (1998) Economics of blackberries: current data and rapid valuation techniques. Plant Protection Quarterly 13, 175–179. open url image1

Jeanes J (1996) Rubus. In ‘Flora of Victoria. Vol. 3’. (Eds NG Walsh, TJ Entwisle) pp. 567–575. (Inkata Press: Melbourne)

Jennings DL (1981) A hundred years of Loganberries. Fruit Varieties Journal 53, 34–37. open url image1

Kalkman C (1984) The genus Rubus (Rosaceae) in Malesia 2. The subgenus Malachobatus.  Blumea 29, 319–386. open url image1

Kalkman C (1993) Rosaceae. In ‘Flora Malesiana. Ser. 1. 11’. pp. 227–351. (Foundation Flora Malesiana: Leiden)

Kloot P (1986) ‘Checklist of the introduced species naturalised in South Australia’. Technical Paper No. 14. (South Australian Department of Agriculture: Adelaide)

Kollmann J, Steinger T, Roy BA (2000) Evidence of sexuality in European Rubus (Rosaceae) species based on AFLP and allozyme analysis. American Journal of Botany 87, 1592–1598.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Kraft T, Nybom H (1995) DNA fingerprinting and biometry can solve some taxonomic problems in apomictic blackberries (Rubus subg. Rubus). Watsonia 20, 329–343. open url image1

Kraft T, Nybom H, Werlemark G (1995) Rubus vestervicensis (Rosaceae) – its hybrid origin revealed by DNA fingerprinting. Nordic Journal of Botany 15, 237–242. open url image1

Kraft T, Nybom H, Werlemark G (1996) DNA fingerprint variation in some blackberry species (Rubus subg. Rubus, Rosaceae). Plant Systematics and Evolution 199, 93–108.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Löve A, Löve D (1974) Nomenclatural adjustments in the Yugoslavian flora. Preslia 46, 123–138. open url image1

Lynch M (1990) The similarity index and DNA fingerprinting. Molecular Biology and Evolution 7, 478–484.
| PubMed |
open url image1

Mahr FA, Bruzzese E (1998) The effect of Phragmidium violaceum (Shultz) Winter (Uredinales) on Rubus fruticosus L. agg. in south-eastern Victoria. Plant Protection Quarterly 13, 182–185. open url image1

McGregor G (1998) Relationship between weedy and commercially grown Rubus species. Plant Protection Quarterly 13, 157–159. open url image1

Milne BR, Dellow JJ (1998) Herbicide responses of blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) in Central Tablelands of New South Wales. Plant Protection Quarterly 13, 180–181. open url image1

Monasterio-Huelin E, Weber HE (1996) Taxonomy and nomenclature of Rubus ulmifolius and Rubus sanctus (Rosaceae). Edinburgh Journal of Botany 53, 311–322. open url image1

Narahashi N (1987) On the identity of Linnaean Rubus parvifolius a small leaved bramble from N. E. Asia and S. E. Australia. Journal of Phytogeography and Taxonomy 35, 3–12. open url image1

Nybom H (1987a) A demographic study of the apomictic blackberry, Rubus nessensis (Rosaceae). Nordic Journal of Botany 7, 365–372. open url image1

Nybom H (1987b) Flowering and fruiting phenology in the apomictic blackberry, Rubus nessensis (Rosaceae). Nordic Journal of Botany 7, 373–381. open url image1

Nybom H (1988) Apomixis versus sexuality in blackberries (Rubus subgen. Rubus, Rosaceae). Plant Systematics and Evolution 160, 207–218.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Nybom H (1995) Evaluation of interspecific crossing experiments in facultatively apomictic blackberries (Rubus subgen. Rubus) using DNA fingerprinting. Hereditas 122, 57–65.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Parsons WT , Cuthbertson EG (1992) Blackberry. In ‘Noxious weeds of Australia’. pp. 577–582. (Inkata Press: Melbourne)

Pelikan S , Rogstad S (1996) ‘GELSTATS version 2.6.’ (University of Cincinnati: Cincinnati, Ohio)

Pigott JP , Weiss J , Evans KJ , Mahr FA (2003) Predicting the potential distribution of the biological control agent blackberry leaf rust (Phragmidium violaceum) and its impact on European blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) in Victoria, Australia. In ‘Plant invasions: ecological threats and management solutions’. (Eds L Child, JH Brock, G Brundu, K Prach, P Pysek, PM Wade, M Williamson) pp. 373–381. (Backhuys Publishers: Leiden)

Quinn G , Keogh M (2002) ‘Experimental design and data analysis for biologists.’ (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge)

R Development Core Team (2005) ‘R: a language and environment for statistical computing.’ (R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna)

Richards AJ, Kirschner J, Stepánek J, Marhold K (1996) Apomixis and taxonomy: an introduction. Folia Geobotanica et Phytotaxonomica 31, 281–282. open url image1

Simmonds NW (1976) ‘Evolution of crop plants.’ (Longmans: London)

Spicer WW (1878) ‘A handbook of the plants of Tasmania.’ (Walch & Sons: Hobart Town)

Stanley TD , Ross EM (1983) Rubus. In ‘Flora of south-eastern Queensland. Vol. 1.’ pp. 233–234. (Department of Primary Industries: Brisbane)

Symon DE (1986) Rubus. In ‘Flora of South Australia. Vol. 1’. (Eds JP Jessop, HR Toelken) pp. 446–449. (South Australian Government Printer: Adelaide)

Taylor K (2005) Biological flora of the British Isles: Rubus vestitus Weihe. Journal of Ecology 93, 1249–1262.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Thomas PT (1940) The origin of new forms in Rubus III. The chromosome constitution of Rubus loganobaccus Bailey, its parents and derivatives. Journal of Genetics 40, 141–156. open url image1

Thompson MM (1997) Survey of chromosome numbers in Rubus (Rosaceae: Rosoideae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 84, 128–164.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Thorp JR , Lynch R (2000) ‘The determination of weeds of national significance.’ (National Weeds Strategy Executive Committee: Launceston)

Weber HE (1972) Die Gattung Rubus L. (Rosaceae) im nordwestlichen Europa. Phanerogamarum Monographiae 7, 1–504. open url image1

Weber HE (1993) Zur entstehung, taxonomie und nomenklatur des Rubus laciniatus (Rosaceae). Willdenowia 23, 75–81. open url image1

Weber HE (1996) Former and modern taxonomic treatment of the apomictic Rubus complex. Folia Geobotanica et Phytotaxonomica 31, 373–380. open url image1

Widrlechner MP (1998) The genus Rubus L. in Iowa. Castanea 63, 415–465. open url image1

Widrlechner MP, Rabeler RK (1991) Rubus parvifolius (Rosaceae) naturalised in Illinois and Iowa, Michigan. Botanist 30, 23–30. open url image1

Zandee M, Kalkman C (1981) The genus Rubus (Rosaceae) in Malesia. 1. Subgenera Chamaebatus and Idaeobatus.  Blumea 27, 75–113. open url image1









Index to scientific names

Accepted names are in Roman. The numbers refer to species description in which the name will be found
A1