The raspberry (Rosaceae family) is a perennial plant related to the blackberry, with slightly prickly stems (called "canes"). Raspberry canes die back in their second year, after producing their fruit, while the canes that will fruit in the following year are already producing leaves. Known by the ancients and cultivated in the Middle Ages for its fruits, in temperate Eurasia the wild Rubus is a rustic species with many delicious varieties.

Botanist's Glossary