Rubus squarrosus
Common names
leafless lawyer, yellow-prickled lawyer
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Simplified description
Extremely prickly usually leafless (or nearly so) scrambling vine. Stems, petioles, petiolules and leaf midribs covered in conspicuous yellow prickles. Leaves usually much-reduced (sometimes absent) compound; leaflets 3-5 , lanceolate, deeply toothed. Flowers white, in panicles up to 200 mm long. Fruit red to red-orange.
Flower colours
Cream, White
Similar taxa
Distinguished from introduced Rubus (blackberries, raspberries wineberries etc) by the virtually hairless stems and branchlets, much-reduced leaves (so appearing at times leafless) and bright yellow prickles, as well as having smaller flowers and fruits.
Distribution
Endemic. New Zealand: North and South Islands, from Ahipara south (scarce north of the Manawatu) and with the exception of Northland mainly easterly.
Habitat
Coastal to montane. Usually in open areas, particularly in dune-field, grey scrub and other shrubland; open forest, river beds, cliff faces, or on talus and boulder slopes.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
Please note, threat classifications are often suggested by authors when publications fall between NZTCS assessment periods – these interim threat classification statuses has not been assessed by the NZTCS panel.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | Not Threatened
Threats
Not Threatened but often local and uncommon over large parts of its potential range. Some northern populations are very vulnerable to habitat destruction
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Rosaceae
Synonyms
Rubus cissoides var. pauperatus Kirk
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
October - December
Fruiting
February - March
Propagation technique
Easily grown from layered stems and semi-hardwood cuttings. An unusual and oddly attractive plant which does well in open, free draining soils, rockeries and also in places where it can grow through surrounding shrubs. Rather resilient it can tolerate some drought and frost. Despite its very prickly stems and leaves it is probably the most commonly grown New Zealand indigenous Rubus. The large yellow prickles and seemingly leafless growth habit are sufficiently unusual that it has proved popular in gardens. If planted in the right sites it is also an excellent deterrent, keeping out unwanted visitors and animals! As with most of the New Zealand native Rubus the fruits of this species though edible are small and insipid.
Other information
Cultivation
Occasionally available from retail plant and specialist native plant nurseries.
Etymology
rubus: From the Latin meaning bramble
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
RUBSQU
Chromosome number
2n = 28
Previous conservation statuses
2017 | Not Threatened
2012 | Not Threatened
2009 | Not Threatened
2004 | Not Threatened
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H.H. 1961: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. I, Wellington, Government Printer.
Webb CJ, Sykes WR, Garnock-Jones PJ 1988: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. IV. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch.
Webb, C.J.; Simpson, M.J.A. 2001: Seeds of New Zealand Gymnosperms and Dicotyledons. Christchurch, Manuka Press.
Attribution
Fact Sheet prepared for NZPCN by P.J. de Lange (5 November 2016). Description based on Allan (1961), Webb et al. (1988) and Webb & Simpson (2001)
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Rubus squarrosus Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/rubus-squarrosus/ (Date website was queried)