88. Rubus chingii H. H. Hu, J. Arnold Arbor. 6: 141. 1925.
掌叶复盆子 zhang ye fu pen zi
Shrubs lianoid, 1.5–3 m tall. Branchlets green when young, reddish brown in age, cylindric, slender, glabrous, with sparse prickles 5–6 mm and glaucous bloom. Leaves simple; petiole green, 2–4 cm, slightly pubescent or glabrous, with sparse prickles 5–6 mm; stipules green, linear-lanceolate, 7–10 mm, puberulous or glabrous; blade suborbicular, 5–11(–16) × 5–13(–18) cm, palmately (3–)5–7-veined, both surfaces pubescent or subglabrous, base cordate, margin usually palmately (3–)5(–8)-lobed; lobes elliptic to rhombic-lanceolate, terminal lobe slightly longer than lateral lobes, lobes contracted toward base, doubly serrate, apex acuminate to caudate. Inflorescences terminal on short branchlets, 1-flowered. Pedicel 2–3.5(–4) cm, usually glabrous. Flowers 2.5–4(–5) cm in diam. Calyx somewhat green or purplish red, abaxially densely pubescent; tube broadly pelviform; sepals narrowly ovate to ovate-oblong, 7–10 × 4–6 mm, apex acute to shortly acuminate, abruptly long pointed. Petals white, elliptic or ovate-oblong, rarely obovate, 1–1.5(–2.5) × 0.7–1.5 cm, glabrous, base shortly clawed, apex obtuse. Stamens many in 3 whorls, unequal in length, shorter than petals; filaments broad, complanate. Pistils numerous, shorter than longer stamens, nearly as long as shorter ones; ovary densely gray pubescent. Aggregate fruit red, subglobose, 1.5–2 cm in diam., densely gray pubescent; pyrenes rugose. Fl. Mar–Apr, fr. May–Jun. 2n = 14.
Slopes, broad-leaved evergreen forests on hills, coniferous forests, thickets, roadsides; below 500--1000 m. Anhui, Fujian, Guangxi, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Zhejiang [Japan].
The specific epithet honors the collector of the type specimen, R. C. Ching, although it was misspelled “chungii” in the protologue. Hu later corrected it to “chingii” (J. Arnold. Arbor. 7: 70. 1926).
The very sweet fruit are eaten fresh and are also used for making jam, jelly, and various drinks, including wine. The fruit, roots, and leaves are used in medicine.
