Rubus sieboldii Blume, Rosaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 10 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Molucca raspberry

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Robust, rhizomatous shrubs; stems somewhat scandent, stout, elongate, with scattered prickles with elongate bases and moderately to densely tomentose.  Leaves simple, coriaceous, broadly ovate to suborbicular, 6.5-22 cm long, 5-18 cm wide, palmately 5-nerved at base, upper surface with impressed veins, sparsely tomentose when young, glabrate with age, lower surface with conspicuous and somewhat raised veins, densely white to yellowish brown tomentose, also midvein and some lateral veins usually with prickles, margins irregularly sinuate-toothed to somewhat lobed, apex rounded, base subcordate, petioles 2-6 cm long, covered with prickles and tomentose.  Flowers subsessile, 1 to several in very short, dense, corymbose inflorescences; sepals ovate to elliptic, ca. 12 mm long, densely tomentose, margins toothed or laciniate; petals white, suborbicular, ca. 15 mm long.  Fruit red, sweet" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1110).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "cultivated and sparingly naturalized in disturbed areas, ca. 100 m, in Lāwa‘i Valley" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1110).

Propagation:  Fruits spread by birds and rodents.

Native range:  Japan, southern China and Okinawa.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Parker, James L./Parsons, Bobby (2012) (p. 72) Recommended for control. Voucher cited: J. Parker & R. Parsons BIED152 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1110) Sparingly naturalized.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Control: 

Physical: Isolated plants may be grubbed out, but any remaining roots will sprout.

Chemical: Systemic herbicides.

Additional information:
Additional online information about Rubus sieboldii is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Rubus sieboldii as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Rubus sieboldii may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Parker, James L./Parsons, Bobby. 2012. New plant records from the Big Island for 2010-2011. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2011. Part II: Plants. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 113:65-74.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).