Bramble ID (1 Viewer)

Binocularface · Sep 23, 2007

Hi,

Being generally familiar with brambles (mostly as a food source for my Phasmids) I am quite interested in identifying them to species. Can anyone please point me in the right direction for a book that covers this area of identification?

Regards
Tristan

rozinante · Sep 24, 2007

Hello Tristan

After seeing some strange variations I once looked into this myself. Due to the amount of horticultural escapes, the tendency to hybridisation, natural variation and the lack of a good guide, I gave up!

Plants are very variable in almost all characters and over 300 microspecies are recognised. So variable that many specimins in the British reference collection remain unamed!

"The bramble collection held at Amgueddfa Cymru is recognised as a major scientific reference tool for the study and naming of plants worldwide. The Bramble, Blackberry, or Rubus collection held in the Museum herbarium is one of the major British reference collections for naming plants. The collection holds 15,000 specimens and includes all of the 325 species known from Britain and Ireland."

http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/852/?article_id=129

Some more (not much) info here:-

http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/T7132.HTM

Binocularface · Sep 24, 2007

rozinante said:
Hello Tristan

After seeing some strange variations I once looked into this myself. Due to the amount of horticultural escapes, the tendency to hybridisation, natural variation and the lack of a good guide, I gave up!

Plants are very variable in almost all characters and over 300 microspecies are recognised. So variable that many specimins in the British reference collection remain unamed!

"The bramble collection held at Amgueddfa Cymru is recognised as a major scientific reference tool for the study and naming of plants worldwide. The Bramble, Blackberry, or Rubus collection held in the Museum herbarium is one of the major British reference collections for naming plants. The collection holds 15,000 specimens and includes all of the 325 species known from Britain and Ireland."

http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/852/?article_id=129

Some more (not much) info here:-

http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/T7132.HTM

Thanks Rozinante - It looks like this group might make Cypers look like a walk in the park

lewis20126 · Oct 29, 2007

Tristan

Only just noticed your post. The key ref is Brambles of the British Isles by Edes and Newton published by the Ray Society in 1988. About £40 I think. Alan Newton and Rob Randall recently did an Atlas of the British and Irish Brambles. Both are probably still available through the BSBI.

I have to say Rubus are very hard work - I did a couple of BSBI Rubus meetings and struggled to identify the sections, let alone the species; there are hundreds of unnamed local "species" as well. The best bet is to go on local trips with some of the best specialists and learn the common local brambles. The experts include Dave Allen (Hants), Alec Bull (Norfolk), Rob Randall (Wiltshire), Alan Newton (Cheshire) and david Earle (Manchester).

Hope this helps

alan

Bramble ID (1 Viewer)

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Binocularface

You've all got one...............!

rozinante

Anarchism is order

Binocularface

You've all got one...............!

lewis20126

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