Big Blackberry

Rubus florulentus Focke, Abh. Nat. Ver
Bremen 11: 411. 1890.
Stems perennial, climbing, 4 m. high, angled, somewhat puberulent, sparingly armed with recurved flattened prickles; leaves ternate; stipules linearlanceolate, small; petioles, petiolules, and midveins prickly, puberulent or glabrate; petioles 4-6 cm. long; leaflets coriaceous, finely serrate with mucronate teeth, glabrous and shining above, dull, glabrate or hirsute at least on the veins beneath; median leaflet broadly oval, short-acuminate or acute at the apex, subcordate at the base, 4-6 cm. long, 3-5 cm. wide; petiolule 1-2.5 cm. long; lateral leaflets similar oi somewhat more ovate, their petiolules 3-6 mm. long; panicles ample. many-flowered; peduncle and its branches tomentose, hirtous, armed with rather stout curved prickles; bracts ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, tomentose; pedicels often with 2 or 3 bracts; sepals ovate, reflexed, tomentose, mucronate, 7-8 mm. long; petals white, obovate, nearly twice as long as the sepals; drupelets numerous, glabrous.
Type locality: Adjuntas, in the woods of the mountain Cienega, Porto Rico. Distribution: Porto Rico.

Rubus florulentus is a rare Caribbean species of flowering plant in the rose family. It has been found only in Puerto Rico.

The genetics of Rubus is extremely complex, so that it is difficult to decide on which groups should be recognized as species. There are many rare species with limited ranges such as this. Further study is suggested to clarify the taxonomy.