A new blackberry on the edge of the cliff.

August 27.

Thursday. P. M. – To Conantum, high blackberrying.

Detected a, to me, new kind of high blackberry on the edge of the cliff beyond Conant's wall on Lee's ground, – a long-peduncled (or pedicelled), leafy-racemed (somewhat panicled), erect blackberry. It has the aspect of R. Canadensis become erect, three or four feet high.

The racemes (or panicles?) leafy, with simple ovate and broad-lanceolate leaves; loose, few flowered (ten or twelve); peduncles (or pedicels) one to two or more inches long, often branched, with bracts midway, in fruit, at least, drooping. Perhaps the terminal flowers open first.

Stem angular and furrowed much like that of R. villosus, leaf-stalks more prickly; leaves broader, thinner, and less pointed, smooth above; beneath, as well as young branches, much smoother than R. villosus; lower leaves ternate and, if I remember, some times quint.

Berries of good size, globular, of very few, large grains, very glossy, of a lively flavor, when young of a peculiar light pink; sepals less recurved when ripe than those of villous.

It is apparently Bigelow’s R. frondosus made a variety by Gray; but see flowers.

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, August 27, 1857