Rubus adpsersus
in the North West of England
This
species and Rubus platyacanthus
have in the past been classified in the British Isles
as Rubus carpinifolius.
Not surprisingly the distributions of R.
adspersus and R.
platyacanthus could be somewhat confused and in some areas
such as Swettenham, near Holmes Chapel, Cheshire these two species
grow together. Swettenham is therefore a good place
to visit to note the differences between the two species.
Rubus adpsersus can be distinguished by the petals being initially pink rather than
white and by the consistent notching of the petals,
the terminal leaflets of Rubus adspersus are also distinctively ovate-acuminate.
Inserted
above is the present known distribution of Rubus
adpsersus in the north
west of England
map produced from Mapmate (09/09/2007). It can be
seen that this is a frequent species in the south east of Cheshire where plants occur in the hedgerows
that border the former heathlands. Recently after
several attempts a small population of R.
adspersus was eventually been found just within
Staffordshire on a hillside lane at Bridestones.
The
above map will be updated as further research is carried out.