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Rubus ellipticus

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Rubus ellipticus
Himalayan raspberry (Ainselu) fruit at Shivapuri National Park, Nepal
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Rubus
Subgenus: R. subg. Idaeobatus
Species:
R. ellipticus
Binomial name
Rubus ellipticus
Varieties[1]
  • Rubus ellipticus var. ellipticus
  • Rubus ellipticus var. obcordatus (Franch.) Focke
Synonyms
Species[1]
  • Rubus tereticaulis subsp. ellipticus (Kupcsok) Domin
var. ellipticus[2]
  • Rubus ellipticus subsp. acheniger Focke
  • Rubus ellipticus f. acuminatus Franch.
  • Rubus ellipticus var. acutifolius Kuntze
  • Rubus ellipticus var. denudatus Hook.f.
  • Rubus ellipticus var. depilis Focke
  • Rubus ellipticus var. flavus (Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) Kuntze
  • Rubus ellipticus var. glabrifolius Kuntze
  • Rubus ellipticus var. incisus Kuntze
  • Rubus ellipticus var. insulanus Focke
  • Rubus flavus Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don
  • Rubus gowreephul Roxb., not validly publ.
  • Rubus paniculatus Moon, not validly publ.
  • Rubus sessilifolius Miq. ex Hook.f.
var. obcordatus[3]
  • Rubus ellipticus f. obcordatus Franch.
  • Rubus obcordatus (Franch.) Thuan

Rubus ellipticus, commonly known as ainselu,[4] golden evergreen raspberry,[5] golden Himalayan raspberry, or yellow Himalayan raspberry,[6] is an Asian species of thorny fruiting shrub in the rose family. Its native range stretches from the Indian subcontinent (Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan) to southern China and Indochina and the Philippines.[7]

Description

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Ainselu (Golden Himalayan Raspberry) from Nepal
Ainselu (Golden Himalayan Raspberry) from Nepal

The golden Himalayan raspberry is a large shrub with stout stems that can grow to up to 4.5 metres (15 ft) long. Its leaves are trifoliate, elliptic, or obovate and toothed with long bristles. Its leaves can grow 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) long. Its flowers are short, white, and have five petals and grow in clusters, and blooms in the Himalayas between the months of February and April.[7] On the slopes of Mount Gede, west of Java island, it can flower every three months, but its peak season is on April.[8]: 194–195  Its fruit are sweet, detachable, and highly sought after by birds and elephants.[9][10][11][12]

Rubus ellipticus is sweet to the taste, though it is not commonly harvested for domestic use.[13] The fruit perishes quickly after plucking from the thorny bush.

Taxonomy

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It was first published and described by James Edward Smith in (A.Rees edited), Cycl. 30: n.° 16 in 1815.[7][1]

Etymology

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The fruit has various names in South-Asian languages. It is called ainselu (Nepali: ऐँसेलु) in Nepali, hisalu (Kumaoni: हिसालु) in Kumaoni, hisol (Garhwali: हिसोल) in Garhwali, nyinch (Nyishi: निंच) in Nyishi, and sohshiah (Khasi: सोहशियाह) in Khasi language.

Distribution and habitat

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The golden Himalayan raspberry's origin is in the temperate Himalayas region, and is native to India, Pakistan, Nepal, southern China, Assam, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam.[1]

It is found as a weed in open grasslands and rarely in forests of Himalayan states of India e.g. Himachal and Uttarakhand in their higher reaches at an attitude of 1,500 to 2,100 m (4,900 to 6,900 ft).[14] It is often found in pine forests of the region.[15]

The golden Himalayan raspberry can be found in mesic or wet forests, and have adapted to be able to live in complete shade and in full sun exposure.[11]

Ecology

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As with other Rubus species, its seeds are readily distributed by birds.[16] It can propagate, or asexually reproduce, itself through cutting.[17] It can grow in open fields or in canopies of moist forests.

The Himalayan raspberry can support large populations of Drosophila, or fruit flies, from its rotting fruit.[10] The fruit is consumed by Asian elephants.[18]

Invasiveness

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Rubus ellipticus flowers and leaves
Prickly stem of R. ellipticus

Rubus ellipticus is listed in the IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group database as an Invasive species, one of the world's 100 worst invasive species.[10] It has been introduced into; Ecuador, Jamaica, Java, Malawi, Mozambique, New South Wales, Queensland (both in Australia) and Tanzania.[1] It was first introduced in 1961 in Hawaii as an edible fruit and as an ornamental plant.[11]

The yellow Himalayan raspberry poses a threat to native communities because it forms thick, impenetrable thickets, and competes with the native Rubus hawaiensis (Hawaiian raspberry).[10][13] Abandoned farms and lands disturbed by feral pig populations are susceptible to invasion. It grows tall due to its stout stems which is a threat because of its ability to establish itself within the tree canopy.[12] The yellow Himalayan raspberry is a threat to native flora because it can outcompete other plants. More specifically, it has higher photosynthetic rates, higher nitrogen fixation rates, and therefore a higher photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (or PNUE).[17]

The yellow Himalayan raspberry is currently only invasive on Hawaii.[12] It is considered a noxious weed by the National Park Service and the Hawaiian Department of Agriculture.[16]

Control strategies

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Due to its limited range, the golden Himalayan raspberry has been contained to a few stations on Hawaii. Any new populations are to be eliminated as quickly as possible.[16] Control practices at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park have shown that simply identifying and removing the shrub can help dramatically reduce its invasive impact.[19]

To fully eliminate a yellow Himalayan raspberry shrub, its root systems must be pulled out. The shrub shoots out roots deep underground after a fire or cutting. Fire can be applied to the roots if the shrub has been removed by physical means. Herbicides such as glyphosate can be used in containing the shrub.[11]

Uses

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Nepali farmers have had limited success in harvesting and fermenting the aiselu fruit to produce a fruit wine.[20] In Sikkim, its roots are used to treat stomach pain and headaches, and its fruits are used to treat indigestion.[21]

The bark from this plant is used for medical reasons in Tibetan villages, mainly as a renal tonic and an antidiuretic.[13] Its juices can be used to treat coughs, fevers, colic and sore throat.[5] The plant can be used to make a bluish-purple dye.[13]

The fruits of golden Himalayan raspberry was recorded as rich source of phenolics, Beta carotenes, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), many other important metabolites and antioxidants.[22] The leaves contain various helpful properties as well.[23] The fruit extracts of R. ellipticus contain antimicrobial properties (Ding et al. 2008).[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Rubus ellipticus Sm". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Rubus ellipticus var. ellipticus". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Rubus ellipticus var. obcordatus (Franch.) Focke". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Aiselu Wine: A Community Project in Nepal". Aiselu Wine: A Community Project in Nepal. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  5. ^ a b Fern, Ken. "Rubus ellipticus Sm. (Rosaceae)". Useful Tropical Plants Database. Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  6. ^ NRCS. "Rubus ellipticus". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  7. ^ a b c "Rubus ellipticus Smith, 1815. 椭圆悬钩子 tuo yuan xuan gou zi". Flora of China.
  8. ^ Muhammad Imam Surya; Wiguna Rahman (June 2012). "Flowering and fruiting phenology of Rubus spp. in Cibodas Botanical Garden, Indonesia". Agrivita. 34 (2): 193–197. doi:10.17503/agrivita.v34i2.111.
  9. ^ Chen, Jin; et al. (2006). "Diet composition and foraging ecology of Asian elephants in Shangyong, Xishuangbanna, China". Acta Ecologica Sinica. 26 (2): 309–316. doi:10.1016/S1872-2032(06)60006-1.
  10. ^ a b c d "Rubus ellipticus". Invasive Species Specialist Group. 20 July 2006. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  11. ^ a b c d "Yellow Himalayan Raspberry". PCA Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group. nps.org. 7 July 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  12. ^ a b c Stratton, Lisa (December 1996). The Impact and Spread of Rubus ellipticus in 'Ola'a Forest Tract Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin-Madison.
  13. ^ a b c d "Rubus ellipticus". Global Invasive Species Database. Invasive Species Specialist Group. 20 July 2006. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  14. ^ Singh, Anurudh K (March 2017). "Revisiting the Status of Cultivated Plant Species Agrobiodiversity in India: An Overview". Proc Indian Natl Sci Acad. 83 (1): 151–174. doi:10.16943/ptinsa/2016/v82/48406.
  15. ^ Negi, P.S. (2008). "Bio-diversity: A Vanishing Himalayan Splendour". Uttarakhand, Need for a Comprehensive Eco-strategy: 317–338.
  16. ^ a b c Jacobi, James D.; Warshauer, Frederick R. (1992). Stone, Charles P.; Smith, Clifford W.; Tunison, J. Timothy (eds.). Distribution of six alien plant species in upland habitats on the island of Hawaii. University of Hawaii, Honolulu: Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit. pp. 155–188.
  17. ^ a b Funk, Jennifer L. (10 September 2008). "Differences in plasticity between invasive and native plants from a low resource environment". Journal of Ecology. 96 (6): 1162–1173. Bibcode:2008JEcol..96.1162F. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2745.2008.01435.x. S2CID 84336174.
  18. ^ Jin, Chen; Xiaobao, Deng; Ling, Zhang; Zhilin, Bai (February 2006). "Diet composition and foraging ecology of Asian elephants in Shangyong, Xishuangbanna, China". Acta Ecologica Sinica. 26 (2): 309–316. doi:10.1016/S1872-2032(06)60006-1.
  19. ^ Tunison, J. Timothy; Stone, Charles P. (1992). Special ecological areas: an approach to alien plant control in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems of Hawai'i: management and research. pp. 781–798.
  20. ^ Dahal, S. "Making of Nepali Wine". Nepali Times. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  21. ^ Pradhan, Bharat K; Badola, Hemant K (1 October 2008). "Ethnomedicinal plant use by Lepcha tribe of Dzongu valley, bordering Kanchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, in North Sikkim, India". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 4: 22. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-4-22. PMC 2567294. PMID 18826658.
  22. ^ Badhani, Amit; Rawat, Sandeep; Bhatt, Indra D.; Rawal, Ranbeer S. (29 July 2015). "Variation in chemical constituents and antioxidant activity in Yellow Himalayan (Rubus ellipticus Smith) and hill raspberry (Rubus niveus Thunb.)". Journal of Food Biochemistry. 39: 667–672. doi:10.1111/jfbc.12172.
  23. ^ George, B.P.; Parimelazhagan, T.; Saravanan, S. (2013). "Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities of Rubus ellipticus smith. leaf methanol extract". International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 5 (2): 220–224.
  24. ^ Ding, J.; Wu, K.; Zhang, J. (2008). "Preliminary exploration for natural enemies of Rubus ellipticus in China". Retrieved 22 September 2021.
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