Rubus cantianus – Series Radulae
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This bramble is named after the English county of Kent, where occurs across the north of the county, but it appears to be widely distributed over the south-eastern corner of England, as far west as Wiltshire and north to the coast of east Norfolk, including the Chilterns area of Buckinghamshire. It is known to be particularly associated with clay-with-flints soils. It is near-endemic in Britain (also recorded from Normandy, France). One of the more distinctive of several species of glandular brambles with white petals and red styles in having a terminal leaflet which is almost round and flowers with strongly upturned petals. These photos are of a single colony at Sherrardspark Wood, Hertforshire, taken in July 2023.
The panicle is relatively short, consisting of a rounded head of rather congested flowers on short pedicels and a few more on longer ascending branches below. The rachis and pedicels are hairy with numerous very short-stalked glands and acicles, and some fine, relatively short, prickles.
Flowers are c.2.5cm in diameter, petals white, ellptical to obovate, c.12-16 x 9mm, distinctly incurved and upturned, giving the flowrs a cupped
appearance. Styles are pinkish-red with yellow tips, stamens have white filaments are are much longer than the sytles; carpels and receptacle are hairy. Sepals are downy with inconspicuous very short-stalked glands, loosely reflexed.
Close-up showing styles (photo: © A. Biddle).
Leaves are thinly or sparsely hairy above, mid to dark green in colour. The terminal leaflet is about as wide as long, rounded, with a cordate or emarginate base and a shortly cuspidate or acuminate apex. The margin has finely serrate teeth which are fairly even in size.
Photo below: © A. Biddle.
Leaflets are thinly downy below, sometimes slightly felted.
The first-year stem is angled with flat sides, green or yellowish-brown and distinctly pruinose. Main prickles on the angles are distinctly shorter than the stem diameter with broad bases and slender points, straight and slightly declining. Hairs are numerous, at last on younger stems. Short-stalked and very short-stalked glands and acicles are frequent on the stems but not as numerous or obvious as most other species in the series.
