Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Moraceae
Tribe: Moreae
Genus: Morus
Common names: Mulberry trees
Morus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, comprises 10–16 species of trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. The trees can be monoecious or dioecious.
The mulberry fruit is a multiple fruit, approximately 2–3 cm long. Immature fruits are white, green, or pale yellow. In most species the fruits turn pink and then red while ripening, then dark purple or black, and have a sweet flavour when fully ripe.
The taxonomy of Morus is complex and disputed. Over 150 species names have been published, and although differing sources may cite different selections of accepted names, only 10–16 are generally cited as being accepted by the vast majority of botanical authorities. Morus classification is even further complicated by widespread hybridisation, wherein the hybrids are fertile.
The following species are accepted by the Kew Plant List as of August 2015
Morus alba – White mulberry (China, Korea, Japan)Morus australis. – Chinese mulberry (China, Japan, Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar)
Morus cathayana. – China, Japan, Korea
Morus celtidifolia – (N + S America)
Morus indica – India, Southeast Asia
Morus insignis – Central America and South America
Morus japonica. – Japan
Morus liboensis– Guizhou Province in China
Morus macroura – Long mulberry (Tibet, Himalayas, Indochina)
Morus mesozygia – African mulberry (S and C Africa)
Morus mongolica – China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan
Morus nigra – Black mulberry (Iran)
Morus notabilis – Yunnan + Sichuan Provinces in China
Morus rubra – Red mulberry (E N America)
Morus serrata. – Tibet, Nepal, northwestern India
Morus trilobata – Guizhou Province in China
Below are listed the main species and their varieties that are grown in New Zealand.
The Morus nigra, the black mulberry is planted for its fruit, which is of black colour and has a pleasant taste. It is widely used in pies, tarts, wines, cordials, and herbal teas.
The Morus rubra the red mulberry is so called on account of its edible fruit, which is of dark red colour and it has a pleasant, slightly acid taste, it too is used in pies, tarts, wines, cordials, and herbal teas.
The Morus alba, white mulberry is the traditional food plant of the silkworm. There are a great many varieties. The leaves feel soft, smooth, and glossy. The fruit is a whitish colour and unpleasant taste. The fruits of the Morus alba cultivars are white when ripe; the fruit of this cultivar is sweet but has a very bland flavour compared with darker varieties. In North America, the white mulberry is considered an invasive exotic and has taken over extensive tracts of native plant species.
Developing fruit
The top surface of a leaf.
The underside of a leaf.
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
