Bush lawyer (plant) See also References External links Navigation menuEncyclopedia of New Zealand entryTramping in New Zealand"Bush lawyer (Rubus cissoids) with good photos"Rubus australisNew Zealand Plant Conservation Network entry for Rubus cissoidesNew Zealand Plant Conservation Network entry for Rubus parvusNew Zealand Plant Conservation Network entry for Rubus schmidelioides var. schmidelioidesNew Zealand Plant Conservation Network entry for Rubus squarrosusexpanding iteexpanding ite
Flora of New ZealandRubusPlant subgeneraNew Zealand plant stubsRosales stubs
blackberryNew ZealandMāori language
| Bush lawyer plant | |
|---|---|
 | |
Rubus cissoides | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Rubus |
| Subgenus: | Rubus subg. Micranthobatus |
| Species | |
| |
Bush lawyer is a common name of a group of climbing blackberry plants (subgenus Micranthobatus of the genus Rubus) that are found in New Zealand, many of them rampant forest vines. The Māori language name of the plant is tātarāmoa.
Tātaramoa or bush lawyer has hooked thorns that snag clothing and rip or prick the skin.[1]
The colloquial English name is often said to have been given because once this thorny plant becomes attached to you it will not let you go until it has drawn blood:[2]
Some overseas trampers might not understand or appreciate the common name of Rubus cissoides, but North Americans certainly do. In New Zealand the thorny vine is best known as bush lawyer. Found throughout the country up to 1000m, the plant has hand-shaped leaves with three to five toothed 'fingers', white flowers and a yellowish-red fruit. The berry is shaped like a small blackberry and was once used by early Europeans to make jams and jellies. But the plant's most noticeable feature is its thorns.
The backward-pointing prickles on the stems help the vine climb to the open canopy of a forest but also snare unwary trampers who stray from the track. You'll immediately know bush lawyer when you encounter it as the thorns will painfully scrape across your bare thighs or arms, quickly drawing blood. And, like any good American lawyer, once it gets a hold of you, it doesn't let go easily.
See also
- Wait-a-minute tree
References
^ Encyclopedia of New Zealand entry
^ DuFresne, Jim (November 2006). Tramping in New Zealand (PDF) (6th ed.). Lonely Planet walking guide. p. 74. ISBN 1740597885..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output .citation qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-maintdisplay:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
External links
 | Look up bush lawyer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
"Bush lawyer (Rubus cissoids) with good photos". T.E.R R.A.I.N - Taranaki Educational Resource Research, Analysis and Information Network. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
New Zealand Plant Conservation Network entry for Rubus australis- New Zealand Plant Conservation Network entry for Rubus cissoides
- New Zealand Plant Conservation Network entry for Rubus parvus
- New Zealand Plant Conservation Network entry for Rubus schmidelioides var. schmidelioides
- New Zealand Plant Conservation Network entry for Rubus squarrosus
 | This New Zealand plant article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This Rosales article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
