Bramble
or BLACKBERRY (rubus fruticosus), a plant common in Great Britain and most parts of Europe, having prickly stems, which somewhat resemble those of the raspberry. The BRANCHIA flowers do not appear till the summer is considerably advanced, continuing to be produced till the frosts of winter set in. The bramble is little cultivated in Great Britain. This being one of the most variable of British plants, its systematic arrangement has been a matter of great controversy. Baker enumerates 21 sub-species sub-species, of which most again pass into varieties. In the United States, where they are called blackberries, they are extensively cultivated for their fruit; and, of late, American kinds have been with advantage introduced into Great Britain. Species of rubus very similar to the common bramble, or varieties of it, abound in the northern parts of Asia, the Himalaya Mountains, and North America.