Rubus schmidelioides

Identification
Rubus schmidelioides, commonly called bush lawyer, is a climbing plant species from New Zealand. It is given the Māori name Tātarāmoa pronounced (tātara-a-moa) which refers to the feet of the rooster. Its hooked branches allow it to climb across the ground and into shrubs and trees. R.schmidelioides fruit are yellow to orange.

Bush lawyer is a dicotyledonous liana with intertwining branchlets. It is a perennial plant, which can grow up to 10 metres long or will form a bush when there is no support nearby. Its leaves are glossy and range from orange to green/brown and are arranged in a compound palmate pattern with 3- 5 leaflets. Leaflets are terminal. There is a clear midrib on the leaves, and they have a serrated leaf margin. The bottom side of the leaves is grey- white. White- leaved bush lawyer contains branchlets up to 40mm in diameter. These branchlets are covered in short soft hair when young but become hairless and smooth when mature and grow large red spikes. It has small narrow stipules and petioles which are 20mm long. Inflorescences are on a 10mm long smooth branchlet, without spikes. Flowers are a white aggregate. The flower sepals are 2-mm long and petals are 4-7mm long. Each flower has five petals. Fruit of the plant is yellow or orange and composed of 8-12 aggregate drupelets to form a fruit 5-9mm in diameter.

It can be easily distinguished from other introduced sub-species of Rubus as it has much smaller flowers and does not have long hairs on its stems which other Rubus species tend to have. It also has much more visible spikes on its stems due to their red colouring.

Natural global range
Rubus schmidelioides is an endemic plant to New Zealand.

New Zealand range
White leaved lawyer is found mainly in the South Island in eastern Canterbury but can also be found in other areas of the country and on Stewart Island.

Habitat preferences
It is found from coastal to mountain habitats, but mainly in scrub and forests. It has previously been found in the driest vegetation zones surrounding lakes and in a freshwater wetland near the Waitangiroto River on the west coast of the South Island. It is also known as a 'regionally scarce' plant in the North Island but is present in the Hikurangi swamps. White-leaved lawyer prefers sun or semi shade and well drained soils.

Life cycle/phenology
White- leaved lawyer flowers from September until November. These flowers are white and hang in long panicles. The plant then fruits from December until April. It reproduces through male and female flowers. Male flowers contain numerous stamens with an ovary that is either absent or undeveloped. Female flowers have a rudimentary stamen and several carpels. When fertilized this forms an endocarp 'seed'. The seed must then go through harsh conditions such as a bird's digestive tract before it will sprout. Seeds require a month of stratification at cool temperatures around 3 °Celsius.

Predators and prey
Rubus schmidelioides is affected by leaf beetles. These insects leave holes in the leaf surface but rarely cause to much damage to the plant. They can also suffer from brown spot and bacterial infection.

Interesting information
The fruit of Rubus schmidelioides can be eaten raw or cooked and is often used to make cordials. The fruits were traditionally used for a dye. It was also used as a natural medicine with all parts of the plant being useful. It was used to "tonify the gut", "for treating respiratory congestion and coughs, and was chewed as a remedy for toothache". Along with other native plants in a steam bath, it was also used to treat rheumatism.