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Common Lawyer Rubus cissoides or Tātarāmoa has a longer, narrow leaf and more spikes than the other Lawyers
Climbing vines related to the blackberry, but the berries aren’t worth the scratches
These plants were given the name ‘Lawyer’ because of their thorns. When one of the Lawyers attaches itself to you it will not let go until it has drawn blood.
Bush and swamp Lawyer names and species
There are two species of Bush Lawyer:
- Rubus cissoides, Tātarāmoa, or ‘common lawyer’
- Rubus schmidelioides
and two species of Swamp Lawyer:
- Rubus australis
- Rubus squarrosus
The bush lawyer of the Tangihua forest are found…
So far, three of the four species of lawyers have been found in Northland’s Tangihua forest:
- Rubus cissoides or Tātarāmoa
- Rubus schmidelioides
- Rubus australis
The Lawyers are found throughout the forest and often where you least expect them. Move off any of the tracks into overgrown, denser forest and you will find a Lawyer. Even if you don’t initially see it, you will know you have found one when the thorns scrape painfully across your bare legs or arms, quickly drawing blood.
The photos on this page were taken on the road into the Tangihua Lions Lodge, between the bus loop and the entrance to the Nature Trail. This is a great place to see Bush Lawyer without having to go through the full Lawyer experience.
Rubus australis, the broader leafed Swamp Lawyer
Physical Description
There are many descriptions of the Bush and Swamp Lawyers, most of which cannot be repeated in polite company. The backwards pointing thorns along the stems of these plants grip tenaciously to anyone that has the misfortune to come into contact with them. Their tendency to grow on and along other shrubs and trees and hang down into pathways can make travelling through the forest an unpleasant experience.
The Lawyers are related to blackberry and raspberry plants and this relationship will be obvious to anyone who has had the misfortune of tangling with any of the Lawyers.
The Leaves
All four species of lawyers have leaves that grow in a hand shape formation with between three and five leaves. The easiest way to tell the species apart is by their leaves.
Rubus cissoides, Tātarāmoa; has the longest of the leaves, from 60 to 150mm long and much longer than they are wide with the widths ranging from only 20 to 60mm. The leaves have pointed tips, unlike R. australis, and jagged teeth along the edges, unlike R. schmidelioides.
Rubus schmidelioides; the leaves are medium length but still longer than they are wide with a length of 20 to 60mm and a width between 25 and 35mm. They also have pointed tips and teeth along the edges, but these tend to be more rounded and blunter than those of the other Lawyers. The underside of these leaves tends to be whiter than the top, but you have to be brave to get close enough to take a look.
Rubus australis; the leaves of R. australis are the smallest of the four Lawyers, only 30 to 50mm long and 10 to 35mm wide. The leaves are much more rounded than the others with the length not being much more than the width. The tips are pointed and the edges have teeth, but these are not as jagged as those of Tātarāmoa and R. squarrosus.
The Stems
The stems of the Bush Lawyers are different to those of the Swamp Lawyers as the Bush Lawyers often have corky growths like armbands at regular intervals along the stems.
The stems of the Tātarāmoa are much thicker than those of the other Lawyers, with the Tātarāmoa stems being up to 100mm in diameter while the others are only 20 or 30mm in diameter.
Young R. squarrosus is easy to spot when in its juvenile form. Juvenile plants grow into a densely tangled mess with bright yellow hooks. All four species have the backward-pointing ‘hooks’ along the stems that give them their common name. These hooks aren’t just designed to annoy unwary trampers, they are used by the vine to climb up other plants to the open canopy and sunlight.
The Flowers and Berries
All the Lawyers have small flowers that grow in branched groups during spring. The flowers on R. squarrosus are yellowish while the flowers on the other Lawyers are white.
The flowers on all the Lawyers ripen into berries from mid-spring into autumn. The berries of the R. squarrosus are also slightly different to those of the other Lawyers, being orange-red when ripe while the berries of the other Lawyers are yellow. The berries are shaped like small blackberries and were used by early Europeans to make jams and jellies.
Distribution and Habitat
All four of the Lawyers can be found throughout New Zealand in lowland forests. Tātarāmoa and R. australis can also be found in more mountainous areas. The Swamp Lawyers prefer wet, swampy ground, hence the name, while the Bush Lawyers can be found throughout the forest.
Forest Role
The Lawyer’s flowers provide food for a variety of birds and insects that are capable of reaching them amongst the tangled thorns. The flower bud is eaten by Kererū and the fruit by geckos, skinks, Kokako and Kiwi.
There are a variety of insects, beetles, mites and caterpillars which call the Lawyers home, finding shelter and protection in amongst the thorns. The Lawyers tend to grow at the serial three stage, or third stage of regeneration, once there is adequate vegetation available for them to climb.
Significance to Māori
Māori found a number of uses for the Lawyers.
- A decoction of the bark was taken for severe abdominal pain, often acting as a laxative.
- The root bark was a valuable remedy for diarrhoea and dysentery.
- An infusion made from the leaves was taken in small doses to relieve congestion in the chest, hard coughs and sore throats.
References
It is very apparent that specific information has been shared online between many organisations. Attributing to the initial source is impossible. As much as possible we have used our own photos and the following websites have been used as sources for our information:
- Te Ara The Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
- Wikipedia
- DOC website
- T.E.R:R.A.I.N Taranaki Educational Resource: Research Analysis and Information Network
