Rubus polyodontus Hand.-Mazz.

Shrubs low, 20–40 cm tall. Branches grayish brown to dark brown, creeping, rooting at nodes; branchlets sparsely villous, with straight needle-like prickles. Leaves simple; petiole 2–3(–5) cm, villous, with straight needle-like prickles; stipules free, to 8 mm, villous, deeply divided nearly to base; lobes linear to linear-lanceolate; blade broadly ovate, 3–8 × 2.5–6 cm, both surfaces sparsely villous, abaxially with sparse, needle-like prickles along midvein, base cordate, margin undivided or slightly incised, unevenly serrate, apex obtuse, rarely acute. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, 1-flowered or flowers in clusters of 3 or 4; bracts 5–7 mm, villous, deeply lobed; lobes linear to linear-lanceolate. Pedicel 5–10 mm. Calyx to 1.2 cm, sparsely villous, with needle-like prickles; sepals broadly ovate, 7–8 × 3–5 mm, margin tomentose, entire, apex caudate-acuminate or with leaflike appendages. Petals rose, obovate, 5–6 mm and ca. as broad, glabrous. Stamens ca. 30; filaments ca. 2 mm. Pistils more than 10; ovary soft hairy apically. Aggregate fruit dry, consisting of few drupelets, enclosed in persistent calyx; pyrenes smooth. Fl. Jul–Aug, fr. Sep–Oct.

NW Yunnan.

Bamboo thickets, forest margins; 2300--3200 m.