Species information
Scientific name: Rubus okinawensis
Japanese name: リュウキュウバライチゴ
Chinese name: 沖繩懸鉤子
English name: Rubus okinawensis
Origin: Southern Kyushu, Ryukyu Islands
Ecology and description
There are three common Rubus species in the Yambaru area of Okinawa, and this is one of them. The Japanese name means “Ryukyu rose raspberry.” Its leaves resemble those of a rose, and it is a shrub 1–2m tall. The flowers are white, about 4cm across, and the dark red fruits, about 1cm across, are sweet and ripen in March.
References:
Plants of the World Online (Rubus okinawensis)
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Multilingual Explanatory Text Database (リュウキュウバライチゴ)
Field photographs taken during our tours, with observation dates
