Rubus aliceae (Santa Fe raspberry)
Rubus idaeus subsp. strigosus (Michaux) Focke
Perennial; canes, erect, stiff, with a mixture of bristle-like prickles, broad based prickles 2-3 mm long, and gland-tipped hairs; leaves pinnately compound, 3- and 5-foliate , crowded on the canes; leaflets 3-5 cm long, finely serrate, tomentose underneath; flowers 5-8, close together at top of canes; petals 5, white; fruit a cluster of drupelets, red. Flowers mid summer.
Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus has longer, 5-7 cm leaflets and the leaflet margins are roughly double serrate.
New Mexico, Santa Fe County, Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Montane coniferous forest with Pinus flexilis and Juniperus communis; other parameters unknown.
This taxon is known only from a type collection in Santa Fe Canyon made in the early twentieth century. Since then, at least two reservoirs have been built in the canyon and the original population might have been extirpated when the canyon bottoms were disturbed. Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus is very abundant in Santa Fe Canyon and the type R. aliceae is probably a form of that species.
2021: Synonymous with Rubus idaeus subsp. strigosus (FNA Vol. 9, 2015), which is widespread and common.
An extant population of Rubus aliceae needs to be found before relationships and conservation needs can be determined.
*Bailey, L.H. 1941-1945. Rubus in North America. Gentes Herbarium 5:1-932.
*Vines, R.A. 1960. Trees, shrubs and woody vines of the Southwest. University of Texas Press, Austin.
For distribution maps and more information, visit Natural Heritage New Mexico