Rubus alutaceus (Rosaceae), a new species for Colombia with agronomic potential

Abstract

In Gachantivá, Colombia, Rubus alutaceus has been used for commercial purposes for more than one decade but so far with unknown taxonomic identity. For its identification, the anatomical and morphological characteristics of its flowers, fruits, leaves, stems, and seeds, as well as the physicochemical characteristics of its fruits such as color, equatorial and polar diameter, fresh weight, pH and total soluble solids (TSS), were studied. Qualitative and quantitative morphological parameters were evaluated, and longitudinal and transverse cuts were made for histological studies. The plants were found to have trifoliate and pentafoliate leaves; whitish–yellow subglobose polydrupes, fully mature fruits with 8.8°Brix TSS; elliptical, subglobose seeds with ruminated endocarps; anatomical calcium oxalate crystals in the form of druses and raphides in the leaves and branches; and abundant hairs, simple and glandular (colleters) addition to vascular tissue with a more or less continuous appearance. High value in TSS, positively influences fruit agribusiness and the presence of simple hair and colleters can reduce the attack of pests, these variables identify the new species and give it agronomic potential to strengthen its cultivation and marketing.

Molecular characterization of a species in the genus Rubus in Boyacá, Colombia

“…An important finding which contributes to the wealth of knowledge about the genetic resources available in the Alto Ricaurte Province in Boyacá is based on the group with a high genetic similarity (Figure 2) created by cultivated R. alutaceus (A-1BL) and wild (A-10BS). This species was reported for the first time by MORENO-MEDINA et al (2020) and has specific morphological characteristics that are unique to other materials grown conventionally or present in the wild. The fruits of this species are yellow-whitish in color, with a sweetness of 8.8 ° Brix.…”

“…The fruits of this species are yellow-whitish in color, with a sweetness of 8.8 ° Brix. According to MORENO-MEDINA et al (2020), this species is intended to be projected as a production line of agricultural interest for Boyacá. The principal coordinate analysis was explained using two components which represented 39.21% of the total genetic variability.…”

“…Departments such as Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Santander, and Valle del Cauca all contribute to the national production of blackberries throughout the year; however, most of the crops established in these regions do not have suitable agronomic management. These problems include adjustments to the growth and fruiting habits of the species and the occasional lack of pre and postharvest management with the purpose of improving yields or increasing the quality of the fruit (MORALES; VILLEGAS, 2012; MORENO -MEDINA; DEAQUIZ, 2016;MORENO -MEDINA et al, 2020). Colombia has valuable genetic resources for blackberries in its cultivars and natural populations.…”

Rediscovery of Rubus pendulus Rusby (Rosaceae) and a new record for the flora of Ecuador and Peru

“…Despite the cosmopolitan distribution of the genus, it is more abundant in Asia, where at least 208 species (139 endemic) were reported in China alone ( Lingdi and Boufford 2003 ). South America contains a low Rubus diversity with fewer than 60 species classified in the native subgenus Rubus L., and the introduced subgenera Batothamnus (Focke) E.H.L.Krause and Idaeobatus Focke ( Macbride 1938 ; Romoleroux 1996 ; Forzza et al 2010 ; Romoleroux et al 2014 ; Bernal et al 2020 ; Espinel-Ortiz and Romoleroux 2020 , 2021 ; Moreno-Medina et al 2020 ; Huang et al 2023 ). Thus, more focalized taxonomic studies will help to uncover more species of Rubus in the Neotropics.…”

Novedades florísticas para el Santuario de Fauna y Flora de Iguaque y sus zonas de influencia como única área protegida de la provincia de Ricaurte (Boyacá, Colombia)

“…El hallazgo de especies nuevas en el área de estudio durante los últimos años (e.g. Luer 2016, 2017, 2018, González y Sánchez Montaño 2017, Moreno-Medina et al 2020, y la publicación de monogra-fías de grupos particulares (e.g. Cuatrecasas 2013Cuatrecasas , Øllgaard 2019, evidencia que distintos taxones continúan por ser descritos, actualizados y revisados.…”