Rubus fraxinifolius, also known as mountain raspberry in English or ragimot, is a species of flowering and fruiting shrub in the raspberry family.[1] It is native to tropical islands of Southeast Asia from Taiwan through the Philippines to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in the Melanesia region.[2]
The species grows as an erect shrub to 2–3 m in height, with thorns on the stems. It occurs in open and disturbed areas, such as on landslides, riverbanks and roadsides, from the lowlands up to an elevation of 2,500–3,000 m in montane forest. Its stems are furry. Its oval, pinnate leaves are attached to 2–6 cm petioles; one leaf is 2–9 cm long by 1.4 cm wide with serrated edges.[2]
Its leaf axils grow wide panicles, each of them has as many as 60 flowers. Each flower has white or greenish obovate petals measuring 7—12 mm long by 5—9 mm wide. Its head has up to hundreds of stamens in its centre.[2]
It fruits from December to March when fog and mountain humidity increases.[3] It produces orangish red, ovoid fruit measuring up to 2.5 cm long by 1.5 cm in diameter, it consists of aggregated drupelets.[4] The fruit is edible, but botanists who collected them say they are tasteless.[2]