You’ve likely encountered Rubus pedunculosus, commonly called the three-leaf raspberry, which thrives throughout Kashmir’s mid- to high-elevation scrublands. If you look closely at the flowering stems, you’ll notice clusters of delicate pink to purple blooms, each about one and a half to two centimeters across. What really catches the eye are the narrow, triangular sepals that extend well beyond the petals—almost like little green stars framing each blossom. Flip a leaflet over and you’ll see a dense, white woolly fuzz coating the underside, a hallmark of this species, while the upper surface bears short, velvety hairs that give the leaves a soft sheen. By late summer, those flowers give way to small, bright orange-red berries that are not only striking against the green foliage but also delicious for anyone lucky enough to taste them.

Even if you stumble upon a stem in pure vegetative mode—no flowers or fruit yet—you’ll still recognize it by its trifoliate arrangement: three serrated leaflets with long, pointed tips. The stems themselves are slender and slightly hairy, with occasional recurved thorns that help the plant scramble through neighboring shrubs and climb over low walls or fences. You’ll most often find this raspberry between 2,200 and 3,300 meters above sea level, snaking around rocks and weaving through mixed vegetation. Whether you’re spotting sprawling, fruiting branches heavy with berries or a young shoot just unfurling its first leaves, the same unmistakable features—trifoliate woolly leaves, long sepals, and hairy stems—reveal its identity as the three-leaf raspberry of the Kashmir valley.

You’ve likely encountered Rubus pedunculosus, commonly called the three-leaf raspberry, which thrives throughout Kashmir’s mid- to high-elevation scrublands. If you look closely at the flowering stems, you’ll notice clusters of delicate pink to purple blooms, each about one and a half to two centimeters across. What really catches the eye are the narrow, triangular sepals that extend well beyond the petals—almost like little green stars framing each blossom. Flip a leaflet over and you’ll see a dense, white woolly fuzz coating the underside, a hallmark of this species, while the upper surface bears short, velvety hairs that give the leaves a soft sheen. By late summer, those flowers give way to small, bright orange-red berries that are not only striking against the green foliage but also delicious for anyone lucky enough to taste them.

Even if you stumble upon a stem in pure vegetative mode—no flowers or fruit yet—you’ll still recognize it by its trifoliate arrangement: three serrated leaflets with long, pointed tips. The stems themselves are slender and slightly hairy, with occasional recurved thorns that help the plant scramble through neighboring shrubs and climb over low walls or fences. You’ll most often find this raspberry between 2,200 and 3,300 meters above sea level, snaking around rocks and weaving through mixed vegetation. Whether you’re spotting sprawling, fruiting branches heavy with berries or a young shoot just unfurling its first leaves, the same unmistakable features—trifoliate woolly leaves, long sepals, and hairy stems—reveal its identity as the three-leaf raspberry of the Kashmir valley.

Identification of Rubus Species from Kashmir Valley

Hi, The photos showing flowers and fruits are Rubus ulmifolius Schott, but I’m not sure about the vegetative phase picture.

Rubus ulmifolius is a widely distributed diploid species (sexual reproduction).

Diagnostic features include: Thick stems that are greyish or bluish pruinose and tomentose, strong prickles that are broad-based, mostly straight, and range from erect to declining, petals usually pink to deep magenta, pink filaments, hairy anthers.

This species typically occurs along roadsides, in gardens, tree plantations, pastures, ruderal areas, and other secondary habitats. It can also be found along rivers or water lines, mainly in sunny or semi-shaded locations, and is rarely found in forests under semi-closed canopies.

Regards,

Razieh.