Rubus fultus A. Beek 2021, nothosp. nov.
Creators: name: Beek, Abraham Van De
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Rosales
Rosaceae
Rubus
Rubus fultus

description: 33. Rubus ×fultus A.Beek nothosp. nov.   
 (R. affinis × pinnatus ?)   
 Type:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape: Knysna, road to Uniondale, at the end of the town, 17 October 2018, Beek 2018.102 (holotype L; isotype NBG). (Figs 25A– B)   
 Diagnosis: —Leaves with strong anthocyanin colouring when young, digitate-pinnate 4- to 5-foliolate, abaxially with only few short hairs on main veins; inflorescence large, broad, with only few simple leaves at base, with numerous strong hooked prickles, thinly hairy; petals 10–13 mm long, light pink to almost white, broad ovate to suborbicular, longer than sepals. Sterile.   
 Primocane (Fig. 25C–D) arching, diam. 3–5 mm, (bluntly) angular, eglandular or with few very scattered sessile glands, glabrous; prickles 4–10 per 5 cm, from 2–4 mm wide base compressed, curved, up to 5–7 mm long; stipules 8–13 mm, linear, with some hairs and short stipitate glands. Leaves with strong anthocyanin colouring when young (Fig. 25E), digitate-pinnate 4- to 5-foliolate, sometimes intermixed with trifoliolate one, or with extra leaflet at base, adaxially glabrous, abaxially (Fig. 25F) with only few short hairs on main veins; serrature moderate, rather regular, with somewhat obtuse triangular mucronate teeth, straight; petiole 3–6 cm long, with some hairs, few subsessile glands, 6–9 curved or hooked prickles; basal leaflets 2–4 mm stalked; central leaflet from rounded or slightly attenuate base 59–93 mm long, in main form elliptical, tending to (ob-)ovate or rhombic, gradually attenuate into rather long tip, width–length index (0.50–)0.60–0.67(–0.78), length of petiolule (11–)16–29% of length of leaflet. Flowering branch (Figs 25G–H) angular, in basal part (almost) glabrous, apically with some long hairs and (sub-)sessile glands; prickles 4–5 per 5 cm, from 2–5 mm broad base, strongly curved or hooked, up to 5–6 mm long. Leaves 3-foliolate, apical ones simple; hairs and serrature as for primocane leaves. Inflorescence (Fig. 25I) large, broad, with only few simple leaves at base, with ascendant peduncles, numerous strong hooked prickles, thinly hairy; pedicels up to 15 mm, thinly tomentose and with appressed long hairs, with 5–10 curved pricklets and few sessile glands. Flowers: sepals loosely reflexed to patent, 3–4 × 7–12 mm, gradually attenuate into long tip, short greyish green tomentose and hairy, with some sessile glands; petals (Fig. 25J) 10–13 mm long, light pink to almost white, broad ovate to suborbicular, sometimes with emarginate tip, longer than sepals; stamens longer than styles; anthers glabrous; styles red; ovaries almost glabrous or with short hairs; receptacle hairy. Sterile.   
 Ecology: —Forests.   
 Distribution: —On scattered localities in the Western Cape, South Africa; much along the road from Knysna to Uniondale.   
 Specimens:— SOUTH AFRICA. Western Cape: Road from Kirstenbos to Houtbaai, corner of road to Alphen, 12 October 2018, Beek 2018.86 (L); Kirstenbosch, 8 June 1976, Stirton 5842 (PRE); Knysna, road to Uniondale, just after transition to gravel, 17 October 2018, Beek 2018.101 (L).   
 Note: — Rubus ×fultus is most probably a hybrid of R. pinnatus and R. affinis. It has the colour of R. pinnatus and the leaves have abaxially only few hairs; the inflorescence is also more glabrous and the prickles are more slender than with R. ×bergianus.
description: Published as part of Beek, Abraham Van De, 2021, Rubi Capenses: a further contribution to the knowledge of the genus Rubus (Rosaceae) in South Africa, pp. 1-71 in Phytotaxa 515 (1) on pages 59-60, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.515.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/8061143