Rubus ellipticus

File:Ainselu (Golden Himalayan Raspberry) from Nepal.jpg

The golden Himalayan raspberry is a large shrub with stout stems that can grow to up to {{convert|4.5|m}} long. Its leaves are trifoliate, elliptic, or obovate and toothed with long bristles. Its leaves can grow {{cvt|5 to 10|cm|0}} long. Its flowers are short, white, and have five petals and grow in clusters, and blooms in the Himalayas between the months of February and April. On the slopes of Mount Gede, west of Java island, it can flower every three months, but its peak season is on April.{{cite journal |author1=Muhammad Imam Surya |author2=Wiguna Rahman |date=June 2012 |title=Flowering and fruiting phenology of Rubus spp. in Cibodas Botanical Garden, Indonesia |url=https://agrivita.ub.ac.id/index.php/agrivita/article/view/111 |journal=Agrivita |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=193-197 |doi=10.17503/agrivita.v34i2.111}}{{rp|194-195}} Its fruit are sweet, detachable, and highly sought after by birds and elephants.{{cite journal

|last1 = Chen|first1 = Jin|display-authors=etal| date = 2006| title=Diet composition and foraging ecology of Asian elephants in Shangyong, Xishuangbanna, China.| journal = Acta Ecologica Sinica |volume=26 |issue=2| pages = 309–316|doi = 10.1016/S1872-2032(06)60006-1}}{{cite web|url=http://issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=79&fr=1&sts=&lang=EN|title=Rubus ellipticus|date=20 July 2006|publisher=Invasive Species Specialist Group|access-date=17 July 2010}}{{cite book|last1=Stratton|first1=Lisa|title=The Impact and Spread of Rubus ellipticus in 'Ola'a Forest Tract Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park|date=December 1996|publisher=University of Wisconsin-Madison|location=Madison, Wisconsin}}

Rubus ellipticus is sweet to the taste, though it is not commonly harvested for domestic use.{{Cite web|url=http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=79|title=Rubus ellipticus |date=20 July 2006|website=Global Invasive Species Database|publisher=Invasive Species Specialist Group|access-date=22 November 2016}} The fruit perishes quickly after plucking from the thorny bush.

It was first published and described by James Edward Smith in (A.Rees edited), Cycl. 30: n.° 16 in 1815.

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The fruit has various names in South-Asian languages. It is called ainselu ({{Langx|ne|ऐँसेलु}}) in Nepali, hisalu (Kumaoni: {{Lang|kfy|हिसालु}}) in Kumaoni, hisol (Garhwali: {{Lang|gbm|हिसोल}}) in Garhwali, nyinch (Nyishi: {{Lang|njz|निंच}}) in Nyishi, and sohshiah (Khasi: {{Lang|kha|सोहशियाह}}) in Khasi language.in Monpa "Sher-Gong"

The golden Himalayan raspberry's origin is in the temperate Himalayas region, and is native to India, Pakistan, Nepal, southern China, Assam, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam.

It is found as a weed in open grasslands and rarely in forests of Himalayan states of India e.g. Himachal and Uttarakhand in their higher reaches at an attitude of {{cvt|1500 to 2100|m}}.{{cite journal|last1=Singh|first1=Anurudh K|title=Revisiting the Status of Cultivated Plant Species Agrobiodiversity in India: An Overview|journal=Proc Indian Natl Sci Acad|date=March 2017|volume=83|issue=1|pages=151–174|doi=10.16943/ptinsa/2016/v82/48406|doi-access=free}} It is often found in pine forests of the region.{{cite journal|last1=Negi|first1=P.S.|title=Bio-diversity: A Vanishing Himalayan Splendour|journal=Uttarakhand, Need for a Comprehensive Eco-strategy|date=2008|pages=317–338}}

The golden Himalayan raspberry can be found in mesic or wet forests, and have adapted to be able to live in complete shade and in full sun exposure.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/ruel1.htm|title=Yellow Himalayan Raspberry|date=7 July 2009|website=PCA Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group|publisher=nps.org|access-date=22 November 2016}}

As with other Rubus species, its seeds are readily distributed by birds.{{cite book|last1=Jacobi|first1=James D.|last2=Warshauer|first2=Frederick R.|editor1-last=Stone|editor1-first=Charles P.|editor2-last=Smith|editor2-first=Clifford W.|editor3-last=Tunison|editor3-first=J. Timothy|title=Distribution of six alien plant species in upland habitats on the island of Hawaii|date=1992|publisher=Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit|location=University of Hawaii, Honolulu|pages=155–188}} It can propagate, or asexually reproduce, itself through cutting.{{cite journal|last1=Funk|first1=Jennifer L.|title=Differences in plasticity between invasive and native plants from a low resource environment|journal=Journal of Ecology|date=10 September 2008|volume=96|issue=6|pages=1162–1173|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2745.2008.01435.x|bibcode=2008JEcol..96.1162F |s2cid=84336174 }} It can grow in open fields or in canopies of moist forests.

The Himalayan raspberry can support large populations of Drosophila, or fruit flies, from its rotting fruit. The fruit is consumed by Asian elephants.{{cite journal|last1=Jin|first1=Chen|last2=Xiaobao|first2=Deng|last3=Ling|first3=Zhang|last4=Zhilin|first4=Bai|title=Diet composition and foraging ecology of Asian elephants in Shangyong, Xishuangbanna, China|journal=Acta Ecologica Sinica|date=February 2006|volume=26|issue=2|pages=309–316|doi=10.1016/S1872-2032(06)60006-1}}

File:Starr 011205-0075 Rubus ellipticus.jpg

File:Starr 011205-0067 Rubus ellipticus.jpg

Rubus ellipticus is listed in the IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group database as an Invasive species, one of the world's 100 worst invasive species. It has been introduced into; Ecuador, Jamaica, Java, Malawi, Mozambique, New South Wales, Queensland (both in Australia) and Tanzania. It was first introduced in 1961 in Hawaii as an edible fruit and as an ornamental plant.

The yellow Himalayan raspberry poses a threat to native communities because it forms thick, impenetrable thickets, and competes with the native Rubus hawaiensis (Hawaiian raspberry). Abandoned farms and lands disturbed by feral pig populations are susceptible to invasion. It grows tall due to its stout stems which is a threat because of its ability to establish itself within the tree canopy. The yellow Himalayan raspberry is a threat to native flora because it can outcompete other plants. More specifically, it has higher photosynthetic rates, higher nitrogen fixation rates, and therefore a higher photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (or PNUE).

The yellow Himalayan raspberry is currently only invasive on Hawaii. It is considered a noxious weed by the National Park Service and the Hawaiian Department of Agriculture.

Due to its limited range, the golden Himalayan raspberry has been contained to a few stations on Hawaii. Any new populations are to be eliminated as quickly as possible. Control practices at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park have shown that simply identifying and removing the shrub can help dramatically reduce its invasive impact.{{cite book|last1=Tunison|first1=J. Timothy|last2=Stone|first2=Charles P.|title=Special ecological areas: an approach to alien plant control in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park|date=1992|publisher=Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems of Hawai'i: management and research|pages=781–798}}

To fully eliminate a yellow Himalayan raspberry shrub, its root systems must be pulled out. The shrub shoots out roots deep underground after a fire or cutting. Fire can be applied to the roots if the shrub has been removed by physical means. Herbicides such as glyphosate can be used in containing the shrub.

Nepali farmers have had limited success in harvesting and fermenting the aiselu fruit to produce a fruit wine.{{cite web|last1=Dahal|first1=S.|title=Making of Nepali Wine|url=http://nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17208#.VlYNzt-rTR0|website=Nepali Times|access-date=25 November 2015}} In Sikkim, its roots are used to treat stomach pain and headaches, and its fruits are used to treat indigestion.{{cite journal|last1=Pradhan|first1=Bharat K|last2=Badola|first2=Hemant K|title=Ethnomedicinal plant use by Lepcha tribe of Dzongu valley, bordering Kanchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, in North Sikkim, India|journal=Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine|volume=4|date=1 October 2008|doi=10.1186/1746-4269-4-22|pmc=2567294|pmid=18826658|page=22 |doi-access=free }}

The bark from this plant is used for medical reasons in Tibetan villages, mainly as a renal tonic and an antidiuretic. Its juices can be used to treat coughs, fevers, colic and sore throat. The plant can be used to make a bluish-purple dye.

The fruits of golden Himalayan raspberry was recorded as rich source of phenolics, Beta carotenes, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), many other important metabolites and antioxidants.{{cite journal|last1=Badhani|first1=Amit|last2=Rawat|first2=Sandeep|last3=Bhatt|first3=Indra D.|last4=Rawal|first4=Ranbeer S.|title=Variation in chemical constituents and antioxidant activity in Yellow Himalayan (Rubus ellipticus Smith) and hill raspberry (Rubus niveus Thunb.)|journal=Journal of Food Biochemistry|date=29 July 2015|volume=39|pages=667–672|doi=10.1111/jfbc.12172|doi-access=free}} The leaves contain various helpful properties as well.{{cite journal |last1=George |first1=B.P. |last2=Parimelazhagan |first2=T. |last3=Saravanan |first3=S. |title=Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities of Rubus ellipticus smith. leaf methanol extract. |journal=International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences |date=2013 |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=220–224}} The fruit extracts of R. ellipticus contain antimicrobial properties (Ding et al. 2008).{{cite web |last1=Ding |first1=J. |last2=Wu |first2=K. |last3=Zhang |first3=J. |title=Preliminary exploration for natural enemies of Rubus ellipticus in China. |url=https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/hisc/files/2013/03/Johnson-Rubus-ellipticus-final.pdf. |access-date=22 September 2021 |date=2008}}

• Choerospondias axillaris, also known as lapsi
• Myrica esculenta, also known as kafal

{{Reflist}}

• {{Commons category-inline|Rubus ellipticus}}
• {{PFAF|Rubus ellipticus}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2717660}}

ellipticus

Category:Flora of Indo-China

Category:Flora of South-Central China

Category:Flora of Tibet

Category:Plants described in 1819

Category:Flora of the Indian subcontinent

Category:Flora of Malesia