Rubus echinatus Lindl.

Robust, scrambling shrub; primocanes arching, reddish when young, becoming greenish brown to purple, sometimes slightly pruinose, sharply angled and slightly concave between, with few to many subsessile and numerous long-stalked glandular hairs and sparsely to moderately clothed in mostly simple hairs; armature of numerous, stout, erect to slightly deflexed prickles on angles, and numerous pricklets on faces and angles. Young stems densely hairy and glandular. Leaflets 5, almost glabrous to very sparsely pilose on upper surface, pilose (especially on veins) and almost glabrous to densely tomentose between on lower surface, distinctly 2-serrate and sometimes lobed; terminal leaflet lamina usually elliptic, sometimes ovate- or oblong-elliptic, acuminate, 50–100–(130) × 30–80–(100) mm, with petiolule 1/4–3/7 length of lamina. Stipules linear. Infl. densely hairy, with subsessile and numerous long-stalked glands. Sepals long-acuminate to long-attentuate, sometimes toothed and with expanded apex, tomentose and with longer simple hairs, with pricklets. Petals rounded or obscurely notched, smooth, white or pale pink. Anthers glabrous.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Dec.–Apr.; Fruiting: Mar.–May.