1479

 

Rubus ellipticus Sm.

Synonym	:	Rubus ellipticus var. ellipticus
Family	:	Rosaceae
Local name	:	English -Yellow himalayan raspberry Malayalam- Cheemullu,Mullippazham
Flowering and fruiting period	:	November-March
Distribution	:	India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar
Distribution in Kerala	:	Kozhikkode, Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram, Palakkad
Habitat	:	Evergreen, semi-evergreen and shola forests
Uses	:	The plant is astringent and febrifuge. A decoction of the root, combined with Girardinia diversifolia root and the bark of Lagerstroemia parviflora, is used in the treatment of fevers. They juice of the root is used in the treatment of fevers, gastric troubles, diarrhoea and dysentery.The root, combined with the dried fruit of Brucea javanica is given in the treatment of dysentery.A paste of the roots is applied externally to wounds. Fruits are edible.
Key botanical characters:  R. ellipticus is a stout, weakly climbing, evergreen shrub 1–3 m tall. Branchlets purplish brown or brownish, pubescent, with sparse, curved prickles and dense, purplish brown bristles or glandular hairs. Leaves imparipinnate, 3-foliolate; petiole 2–6 cm, petiolule of terminal leaflet 2–3 cm, lateral leaflets subsessile, petiolule and rachis purplish red bristly, pubescent, with minute prickles; stipules linear, 7–11 mm, pubescent, with intermixed glandular hairs; blade of leaflets elliptic or obovate, 4–8(–12) × 3–6(–9) cm, terminal leaflet much larger than lateral leaflets, abaxially densely tomentose, with purplish red bristles along prominent veins, adaxially veins impressed, pubescent along midvein, base rounded, margin unevenly minute sharply serrate, apex acute, abruptly pointed, shallowly cordate, or subtruncate. Inflorescences terminal, dense glomerate racemes, (1.5–)2–4 cm, flowers several to 10 or more, or flowers several in clusters in leaf axils, rarely flowers solitary; rachis and pedicels pubescent, bristly; bracts linear, 5–9 mm, pubescent. Pedicel 4–6 mm. Flowers 1–1.5 cm in diameter. Calyx abaxially pubescent, intermixed yellowish tomentose, sparsely bristly; sepals erect, ovate, 4–5(–6) × 2–3(–4) mm, abaxially densely yellowish gray tomentose, apex acute and abruptly pointed. Petals white or pink, spatulate, longer than sepals, margin premorse, densely pubescent, base clawed. Stamens numerous, shorter than petals; filaments broadened and flattened basally. Ovary pubescent; styles glabrous, slightly longer than stamens. Aggregate fruit golden yellow, subglobose, approximately 1 cm in diameter, glabrous or drupelets pubescent at apex; pyrenes triangular-ovoid, densely rugulose.