Herb: Ceylon Blackberry


Latin name: Rubus moluccanus


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Medicinal use of Ceylon Blackberry:

The leaves are abortifacient, astringent and emmenagogue. The fruit is considered to be a useful remedy for the nocturnal micturation of children (bed-wetting).

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Habitat of the herb:

Rainforest edges in Australia. Found at elevations up to 2100 metres in the Himalayas.

Edible parts of Ceylon Blackberry:

Fruit - raw or cooked and used in pies, preserves etc. It has a sour flavour and is astringent.

Other uses of the herb:

A purple to dull blue dye is obtained from the fruit.

Propagation of Ceylon Blackberry:

Seed - requires stratification and is best sown in early autumn in a cold frame. Stored seed requires one month stratification at about 3°C and is best sown as early as possible in the year. Prick out the seedlings when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a cold frame. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Tip layering in July. Plant out in autumn. Division in early spring or just before leaf-fall in the autumn.

Cultivation of the herb:

Rainforest edges in Australia. Found at elevations up to 2100 metres in the Himalayas.

Known hazards of Rubus moluccanus:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.