Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Rubus armeniacus Focke (Rosaceae): a new distributional record for India from Kashmir Himalaya
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Research Articles | Published: 03 June, 2025
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Keywords: Distribution, Armenian blackberry, Invasive species, Himalaya, India
Abstract
Rubus armeniacus Focke is reported as a new distributional record for India from the Kashmir Himalaya. Herbarium records indicate that this species was initially collected in the region around forty years ago, but was erroneously identified. A detailed taxonomic account, based on recently collected field specimens, is provided to elucidate the taxonomic identification and nomenclatural confusion of R. armeniacus and confirm its first distribution record in India. This includes a comprehensive description, distinguishing characters from closely related species, photographic plate of key diagnostic traits, and a distributional map. Being recognized as an invasive species elsewhere in the world, the present finding may lead in controlling and mitigating its ecological impacts on the native biodiversity and providing identification tools for its possible further extension in neighboring Himalayan regions.
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Author Information
Cytogenetics and Plant Molecular Biology Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India