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Bramble, (genus Rubus), large genus of flowering plants in the rose family (Rosaceae), consisting of usually prickly shrubs. Brambles occur naturally throughout the world, especially in temperate areas, and a number are invasive species outside their native range. Many are widely cultivated for their fruits, including raspberries, blackberries, and hybrids such as loganberries and boysenberries.
Brambles are typically erect or trailing shrubs with canelike stems, though some species are herbaceous. Many spread vegetatively and are frequently armed with prickles or hairs along their branches. The leaves can be simple or compound and are often toothed or lobed; a number of species are deciduous. The five-petaled flowers are usually white or pink and produce a characteristic fruit known as an aggregate of druplets. Many species freely hybridize with each other, making classification extremely difficult.
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Angiosperm, any of about 300,000 species of flowering plants, the largest and most diverse group within the kingdom Plantae. Angiosperms represent approximately 80 percent of all the known green plants now living. The angiosperms are vascular seed plants in which the ovule (egg) is fertilized and develops into a seed…
Rosaceae, the rose family of flowering plants (order Rosales), composed of some 2,500 species in more than 90 genera. The family is primarily found in the north temperate zone and occurs in a wide variety of habitats. A number of species are of economic importance as food crops, including apples,…
Invasive species, any nonnative species that significantly modifies or disrupts the ecosystems it colonizes. Such species may arrive in new areas through natural migration, but they are often introduced by the activities of other species. Human activities, such as those involved…