Rubus niveus (Mysore raspberry, Ceylon raspberry and hill raspberry) is a species of Rubus native to southern Asia.
Description Rubus niveus is a shrub growing to tall, the stems whitish, tomentose (densely covered with short, matted hairs) at first, later becoming glabrous green to purple. The leaves are pinnate with 5–11 leaflets (mostly 7 or 9) that are long and wide. The leaflets are dark green above and densely pale grey to white tomentose beneath.
The flowers are about 1 cm in diameter, with five dark pink to red petals. The fruit is in diameter, densely grey tomentose, and dark red at first, ripening black.
Taxonomy The species was first published in 1813 by Carl Peter Thunberg in De Rubo: 9.
There are 2 known varieties; Rubus niveus var. micranthus Rubus niveus var. niveus The species is commonly known as 'Mysore raspberry', 'Ceylon raspberry' (after the former name of Sri Lanka) and 'hill raspberry'. Local native names include , and .University of Melbourne: Sorting Rubus names
Distribution and habitat It is native to southern Asia; from Afghanistan, east through India—covering the Himalayas, Assam, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—and across to Tibet, southern and north-central China and Taiwan, and south to Indo-China (Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) and Malesia (in Java and). In the Philippines, several entrepreneurs have been found selling seedlings ang growing them in the cities and municipaities of Tuba, Baguio, and La Trinidad in the province of BenguetFlora of China: Rubus niveus
It has been introduced into various countries and regions including; south America (in Bolivia, southern Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Trinidad and Tobago), United States (in the states of Florida and Hawaii), Africa (Ethiopia, Galápagos, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and South Africa (in the Cape Provinces, the Northern Provinces and Swaziland).
It has become naturalised and invasive in Hawaii and the Galápagos Islands.Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk: Rubus niveus
It grows in temperate regions.
Uses Rubus niveus is cultivated for its edible fruit, which potentially have gastroprotective, antioxidative, and nutraceutical properties.
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