Identifying Swamp Lawyer (Rubus australis)

Take great care when identifying wild plants and fungi, this blog is not a resource to be taken by itself and further resources will be linked. Consult other sources and double check. While foraging is an extremely rewarding and useful skill, numerous common plants and fungi can make you sick or kill you. Be absolutely sure of what you’re eating and, when gathering, ensure you leave enough not only to ensure the survival and growth of the species but also enough for others to enjoy, from the human and more-than-human communities. Also cultivate an awareness of contamination and pollution – wastewater runoff, spraying, exhaust fumes – as this should affect your decision to harvest.

The Plant

Rubus australis is a perennial scrambling vine from the Roseaceae family. It is endemic to New Zealand and can be found in the North and South Islands. The name “Rubus” is from the Latin word for blackberry or bramble, while “australis” simply means Southern. There are two species of bush lawyer and two of swamp lawyer, each referring to whether they are a hydrophyte or non-hydrophyte (occuring in wetlands or not). They have been named “lawyer” as they grow curved thorns, often snagging unsuspecting walkers and because like a lawyer “this once this thorny plant becomes attached to you it will not let go until it has drawn blood”.

Description

Swamp Lawyer is a perennial evergreen vine which tends to grow in New Zealand wetlands but can be found in upland native bush as well, generally sprawling across and within other natives. The vines can be 10m or more long and are covered in slightly reddish recurved prickles. Their leaves are almost rounded and are sharply toothed and pointed at the end, with reddish veining. The leaves are quite hard and leathery and tend to grow in threes at the end of a stem. They produce small white flowers in the spring with five petals which are pollinated by insects. Swamp lawyer then produces green lumpy blackberry-like fruits, turning orange and then red until ripe, full of seeds. The fruits ripen on drooping stems in summertime and are eaten by geckos, skinks, kokako, and kiwi. The plants are dioecious and so you need a male and female plant to produce fruit.

Ecology

I have found swamp lawyer growing in my local nature reserve in the North Island of Aotearoa. Often found slightly off track growing over the lower canopy native trees along the margins of wetlands but I have seen them growing well in upland forest also. They can handle a light frost but grow best in partial shade in well-drained loamy soil with enough access to water. The edible berries will ripen around January and February.

Nutritional & Medicinal Information

A decoction of the bark has been taken to soothe severe abdominal pain as it can act as a laxative.

The root bark is astringent and so can be used as a remedy for diarrhoea and dysentery. An infusion of the root, along with other plant compounds, has also been used to assist in the removal of the placenta.

An infusion of the leaves in small doses has been used to relieve chest congestion, coughing, and sore throats.

Possible Lookalikes

White-leaved Lawyer (rubus schmidelioides) is in the same family as swamp lawyer but has longer pointed leaves. The fruits are edible.

Interesting Facts

A purple to dull-blue dye can be obtained from the fruits.

Storage & Cooking

The berries are best picked ripe and fresh but they are firmer than regular blackberries and so could be stored in a container in the fridge for a few days if needed. The fruit is tart and delicious and would make a fantastic jam, addition to ice cream, cakes, or other desserts. There are many seeds in each fruit so I would recommend sieving out the seeds if possible.

Enjoy my fellow foragers!

Further Reading

iNaturalist

The Lion’s Lodge

New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

University of Auckland

Useful Temperate Plants