Cannabis ruderalis is a variety, subspecies, or species of Cannabis native to Central and Eastern Europe and Russia. It contains a relatively low quantity of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and does not require a photoperiod to blossom (unlike C. indica and C. sativa). Some scholars accept C. ruderalis as its own species due to its unique traits and phenotypes which distinguish it from C. indica and C. sativa; others debate whether ruderalis is a subspecies under C. sativa.
Description
This species is smaller than other species of the genus, rarely growing over in height. The plants have "thin, slightly fibrous stems" with little branching. The foliage is typically open with large leaves. C. ruderalis reaches maturity much quicker than other species of Cannabis, typically 5–7 weeks after being planted from seed.
Unlike other species of the genus, C. ruderalis enters the flowering stage based on the plant's maturity rather than its light cycle. With C. sativa and C. indica varieties, the plant stays in the vegetative state indefinitely as long as a long daylight cycle is maintained. Cannabis geneticists today refer to this feature as "autoflowering" when C. ruderalis is cross-bred.
Regarding its cannabinoid profile, it usually contains less tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in its resin compared to other Cannabis species but is often high in cannabidiol (CBD).
Taxonomy
Species description
There is no consensus in the botany community that C. ruderalis is one separate species, rather than a subspecies from C. sativa. It was first described in 1924 by D. E. Janischewsky, noting the visible differences in the fruits' seed (an achene), shape and size from previously classified Cannabis sativa.
Genomic studies
Recently, genomic DNA studies utilizing molecular markers and different varieties of plants from diverse geographical origins have been employed to enrich the Cannabis taxonomy discussion. In 2005, Hillig reinforced the polytypic classification system based on allozyme variation at 17 genomic loci. Hillig's approach, proposed a more detailed taxonomy encompassing three species with seven subspecies or varieties:
- C. sativa
- C. sativa subsp. sativa var. sativa
- C. sativa subsp. sativa var. spontanea
- C. sativa subsp. indica var. kafiristanica
- C. indica
- C. indica
- C. indica sensu
- C. chinensis
- C. ruderalis.
Clarke and Merlin carried out more studies in 2013 to analyze the genus mixing molecular markers, chemotypes and morphological characteristics. They proposed a refinement in Hillig's hypothesis and suggested that C. ruderalis could be the wild ancestor of C. sativa and C. indica. However, these affirmations were based on a limited sample size.
Etymology
The term ruderalis is derived from the Latin rūdera, which is the plural form of rūdus, meaning "rubble", "lump", or "rough piece of bronze". In botanical Latin, ruderalis means "weedy" or "growing among waste". A ruderal species refers to any plant that is the first to colonize land after a disturbance removing competition.
Distribution and habitat
C. ruderalis was first scientifically described in 1924 (from plants collected in southern Siberia), although it grows wild in other areas of Russia. C. ruderalis is a hardier variety grown in the northern Himalayas and southern states of the former Soviet Union, characterized by a more sparse, "weedy" growth. Large wild C. ruderalis populations are found in central and eastern Europe, most of them in Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia and adjacent countries. Without human selection, these plants have lost many of the traits they were originally selected for, and have acclimated to their environment.
C. indica strains are frequently cross-bred with C. ruderalis to produce autoflowering plants with high THC content, improved hardiness and reduced height. Cannabis x intersita Sojak, a strain identified in 1960, is a cross between C. sativa and C. ruderalis. The typically higher concentration of CBD may make ruderalis plants viable for the treatment of anxiety or epilepsy.