Ajay Kumar: Created a new article

2023-08-30T03:42:41Z

Created a new article

New page

{{Short description|Genus of plants}}
{{Redirect|Mulberry|other plants called mulberry|List of plants known as mulberry|other uses|Mulberry (disambiguation)}}
{{For|the bird genus|Gannet}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Morus'' (plant)}}
{{Automatic_taxobox
| name = Mulberry
| image = Morus alba FrJPG.jpg
| image_caption = ''[[Morus nigra]]''
| taxon = Morus
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text.
}}

'''''Morus''''', a [[genus]] of flowering plants in the family [[Moraceae]], consists of diverse species of [[deciduous]] trees commonly known as '''mulberries''', growing wild and under cultivation in many [[temperate]] world regions.<ref name="suttie">{{cite web |author1=J.M. Suttie |title=''Morus alba'' L. |url=http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/Gbase/data/pf000542.htm |publisher=United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organization |access-date=8 March 2020 |date=2002}}</ref><ref name=cabi/><ref name=duke/> Generally, the genus has 64 subordinate taxa,<ref name="WFO">{{cite web |url= http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000024882 |title= ''Morus'' L. |author= |date= 2022 |website= World Flora Online |publisher= World Flora Online Consortium |access-date= 7 August 2022}}</ref> three of which are well-known and are ostensibly named for the fruit color of the best-known cultivar: white, red, and black mulberry (''[[Morus alba]]'', ''[[Morus rubra|M. rubra]]'', and ''[[Morus nigra|M. nigra]]'', respectively), with numerous [[cultivar]]s and some taxa currently unchecked and awaiting taxonomic scrutiny.<ref name=crfg/><ref name="WFO"/> ''M. alba'' is native to [[South Asia]], but is widely distributed across [[Europe]], [[Southern Africa]], [[South America]], and [[North America]].<ref name=cabi/> ''M. alba'' is also the species most preferred by the [[Bombyx mori|silkworm]], and is regarded as an [[invasive species]] in [[Brazil]] and the [[United States]].<ref name=cabi/>

The closely related genus ''[[Broussonetia]]'' is also commonly known as mulberry, notably the [[paper mulberry]] (''Broussonetia papyrifera'').<ref name=fna>{{eFloras|1|200006341|Broussonetia papyrifera |family=Moraceae |first=Richard P. |last=Wunderlin}}</ref>

Despite their similar appearance, mulberries are not closely related to [[raspberries]] or [[blackberries]]. All three species belong to the [[Rosales]] order. But while the mulberry is a tree belonging to the [[Moraceae]] family (also including the [[Common fig|fig]], [[jackfruit]], and other fruits), raspberries and blackberries are [[brambles]] and belong to the [[Rosaceae]] family (also including the [[apple]], [[peach]], and other fruits).

==Description==
Mulberries are fast-growing when young, and can grow to {{Convert|24|m|abbr=off}} tall.<ref name=cabi/><ref name="crfg">{{cite web |title=Mulberry |url=https://crfg.org/wiki/fruit/mulberry/ |publisher=California Rare Fruit Growers |access-date=8 March 2020 |date=1997}}</ref> The [[leaves]] are alternately arranged, simple, and often lobed and serrated on the margin. Lobes are more common on juvenile shoots than on mature trees.<ref name=cabi/><ref name=crfg/> The trees can be [[monoecious]] or [[dioecious]].<ref name=crfg/>

The mulberry fruit is a [[multiple fruit|multiple]], about {{Convert|2-3|cm|abbr=off|frac=4}} long.<ref name=cabi/><ref name=crfg/> Immature fruits are white, green, or pale yellow.<ref name=crfg/> The fruit turns from pink to red while ripening, then dark purple or black, and has a sweet flavor when fully ripe.<ref name=cabi/><ref name=crfg/>

{{gallery|mode=packed
|Mulberryflowerbud3000px.JPG|Clusters ([[inflorescences]]) of unopened male flower buds
|Black Mulberry Female Flowers.jpg|Female [[catkin]]s
|Mulberry Flower Clusters.jpg|Young mulberry fruit clusters
|Immature mulberry fruit.jpg|Immature fruit
|Unripe white mulberry.jpg|Unripe white mulberries
|Wild mulberry.jpg|Berries on branches in [[Eastern Oklahoma]]
|Mulberry in Southern Brazil.jpg|Mulberry in southern Brazil
|Long Mulberry.JPG|Long mulberry
|Ripe red purple mulberries on a mulberry leaf.jpg|Semi-ripe mulberries on a mulberry leaf
|2014-10-30 10 05 50 Mulberry autumn foliage along Dunmore Avenue in Ewing, New Jersey.JPG|[[Autumn foliage]]
}}

==Taxonomy==

The taxonomy of ''Morus'' is complex and disputed. [[Fossil]]s of ''Morus'' appear in the [[Pliocene]] record of the [[Netherlands]].<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology |volume=140 |issue=1–2 |pages=113–122 |year=2006 |title=Maclura (Moraceae) wood from the Miocene of the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico: Fossil and biogeographic history of its closer allies |author1=Martinez Cabrera HI |author2=Cevallos-Ferriz SRS |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292995365 |doi=10.1016/j.revpalbo.2006.03.004|bibcode=2006RPaPa.140..113M }}</ref> Over 150 species names have been published, and although differing sources may cite different selections of accepted names, less than 20 are accepted by the vast majority of botanical authorities. ''Morus'' classification is even further complicated by widespread [[hybrid (biology)|hybridisation]], wherein the hybrids are fertile.{{Cn|date=June 2021}}

The following species are accepted:<ref name="30004492-2" >{{cite web |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30004492-2 |title=''Morus'' L. |author= |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=5 July 2021 }}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*''[[Morus alba]]'' L. – white mulberry (China, Korea, Japan)
*''[[Morus australis]]'' Poir. – East and South-East Asia
*''[[Morus boninensis]]'' Koidz.
*''[[Morus cathayana]]'' Hemsl. – China, Japan, Korea
*''[[Morus celtidifolia]]'' Kunth – Texas mulberry (southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, South America)
*''[[Morus indica]]'' L. – India, [[Southeast Asia]]
*''[[Morus insignis]]'' Bureau – Central and South America
*''[[Morus koordersiana]]'' J.-F.Leroy
*''[[Morus liboensis]]'' S.S.Chang – [[Guizhou]] Province in China
*''[[Morus macroura]]'' Miq. – long mulberry (Tibet, Himalayas, Indochina)
*''[[Morus mesozygia]]'' Stapf – African mulberry (south and central Africa)
*''[[Morus microphylla]]'' Buckley
*''[[Morus miyabeana]]'' Hotta
*''[[Morus mongolica]]'' (Bureau) C.K.Schneid.
*''[[Morus nigra]]'' L. - black mulberry (Iran, [[Caucasus]], [[Levant]])
*''[[Morus notabilis]]'' C.K.Schneid. – [[Yunnan]] and [[Sichuan]] Provinces in China
*''[[Morus rubra]]'' L. – red mulberry (eastern North America)
*''[[Morus serrata]]'' Roxb. – Tibet, Nepal, northwestern India
*''[[Morus trilobata]]'' (S.S.Chang) Z.Y.Cao – Guizhou Province in China
*''[[Morus wittiorum]]'' Hand.-Mazz. – southern China
{{div col end}}

In southern Brazil, the mulberry is known as ''amorinha''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sites.google.com/site/florasbs/rosaceae/amorinha |title=''Rubus brasiliensis'' - Amorinha |website=FloraSBS |language=pt |access-date=2018-05-18}}</ref>

==Distribution==
{{more citations needed|section|date=February 2018}}
[[File:Mulberry in Libya.jpg|thumb|right|Mulberry fruit in [[Libya]]]]

Black, red, and white mulberries are widespread in [[Southern Europe]], the [[Middle East]], [[northern Africa]], and the [[Indian subcontinent]], where the tree and the fruit have names under regional [[dialect]]s. Black mulberry was imported to Britain in the 17th century in the hope that it would be useful in the cultivation of silkworms. It was much used in [[folk medicine]], especially in the treatment of [[ringworm]].  Mulberries are also widespread in [[Greece]], particularly in the [[Peloponnese]], which in the [[Middle Ages]] was known as [[Morea]], deriving from the Greek word for the tree ({{lang|el|{{linktext|μουριά}}}}, ''{{transl|el|mouria}}'').

== Cultivation ==
[[File:Canons Ashby House and Mulberry Tree - geograph.org.uk - 22987.jpg|thumb|A mulberry tree in [[England]]]]

Mulberries can be grown from seed, and this is often advised, as seedling-grown trees are generally of better shape and health. Mulberry trees grown from seed can take up to ten years to bear fruit. Mulberries are most often planted from large cuttings, which root readily. The mulberry plants allowed to grow tall have a [[tree crown|crown]] height of {{cvt|5|to|6|ft|m|1|order=flip}} from ground level and a stem girth of {{cvt|4|-|5|in|cm|0|order=flip}}. They are specially raised with the help of well-grown [[sapling]]s 8–10 months old of any of the varieties recommended for rainfed areas like S-13 (for red loamy soil) or S-34 (black cotton soil), which are tolerant to drought or soil-moisture stress conditions. Usually, the plantation is raised and in block formation with a spacing of {{cvt|6|by|6|ft|m|order=flip}}, or {{cvt|8|by|8|ft|m|order=flip}}, as plant-to-plant and row-to-row distances. The plants are usually pruned once a year during the [[monsoon season]] to a height of {{cvt|5|-|6|ft|m|1|order=flip}} and allowed to grow with a maximum of 8–10 shoots at the crown. The leaves are harvested three or four times a year by a leaf-picking method under rain-fed or semiarid conditions, depending on the monsoon. The tree branches pruned during the fall season (after the leaves have fallen) are cut and used to make durable baskets supporting agriculture and [[animal husbandry]].

Some North American cities have banned the planting of mulberries because of the large amounts of pollen they produce, posing a potential health hazard for some [[pollen allergy]] sufferers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.elpasotexas.gov/muni_clerk/agenda/07-10-07/07100715A.pdf |author=City of El Paso |title=Agenda item department head's summary form |date=July 10, 2007 |access-date=21 July 2014}}</ref> Actually, only the male mulberry trees produce pollen; this lightweight pollen can be inhaled deeply into the lungs, sometimes triggering [[asthma]].<ref name = "Ogren">{{cite book |last=Ogren |first=Thomas Leo |title=Allergy-Free Gardening |date=2000 |publisher=Ten Speed Press |location=Berkeley, California |isbn=1580081665 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/allergyfreegarde00thom}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Wilson |first=Charles L. |title=Tree pollen and hay fever |url=http://www.fao.org/docrep/q5240e/q5240e07.htm |publisher=[[Food and Agriculture Organization]] |access-date=17 May 2014}}</ref> Conversely, female mulberry trees produce all-female flowers, which draw pollen and dust from the air. Because of this pollen-absorbing feature, all-female mulberry trees have an [[OPALS (Ogren Plant Allergy Scale)|OPALS allergy scale]] rating of just 1 (lowest level of allergy potential), and some consider it "allergy-free".<ref name="Ogren"/>

Mulberry tree [[Scion (grafting)|scion wood]] can easily be [[Grafting|grafted]] onto other mulberry trees during the winter, when the tree is dormant. One common scenario is converting a problematic male mulberry tree to an allergy-free female tree, by grafting all-female mulberry tree scions to a male mulberry that has been pruned back to the trunk.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ogren |first=Thomas Leo |title=Safe Sex in the Garden: and Other Propositions for an Allergy-Free World |date=2003 |publisher=Ten Speed Press |location=Berkeley, California |isbn=1580083145 |pages=22–23}}</ref> However, any new growth from below the graft(s) must be removed, as they would be from the original male mulberry tree.<ref>{{cite news |last=Phipps |first=Nikki |title=Can Grafted Trees Revert to Their Rootstock? |website=Gardening Know How |url=http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/can-grafted-trees-revert-to-their-root-stock.htm |access-date=16 May 2014}}</ref>

==Toxicity==
All parts of the plant besides the ripe fruit contain a toxic milky sap.<ref>{{cite web |title=White mulberry – ''Morus alba'' |url=http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=200 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120412062338/http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=200 |archive-date=2012-04-12 |access-date=20 October 2012 |work=Ohio Perennial and Biennial Weed Guide |publisher=The Ohio State University}}</ref> Eating too many berries may have a [[laxative]] effect. Additionally, unripe green fruit may cause nausea, cramps, and a [[hallucinogen]]ic effect.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/277203364 |title=The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants |publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing]] |others=[[United States Department of the Army]] |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-60239-692-0 |location=New York |pages=69 |language=en-US |oclc=277203364}}</ref>

== Uses ==

=== Nutrition ===
{{nutritional value
| name = Raw mulberries
| water = 87.68 g
| kJ = 180
| protein = 1.44
| fat = 0.39
| carbs = 9.8
| fiber = 1.7
| sugars = 8.1
| calcium_mg = 39
| iron_mg = 1.85
| magnesium_mg = 18
| phosphorus_mg = 38
| potassium_mg = 194
| sodium_mg = 10
| zinc_mg = 0.12
| manganese_mg =
| opt1n =
| opt1v =
| vitC_mg = 36.4
| thiamin_mg = 0.029
| riboflavin_mg = 0.101
| niacin_mg = 0.62
| pantothenic_mg =
| vitB6_mg = 0.05
| folate_ug = 6
| vitA_ug = 1
| betacarotene_ug =
| lutein_ug =
| vitE_mg = 0.87
| vitK_ug = 7.8
| source_usda = 1
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/?query=ndbNumber:9190 Link to United States Department of Agriculture Database entry]
}}

Raw mulberries are 88% water, 10% [[carbohydrate]]s, 1% [[protein]], and less than 1% [[fat]]. In a {{Convert|100|g|abbr=off|adj=on}} reference amount, raw mulberries provide 43 calories, 44% of the [[Daily Value]] (DV) for [[vitamin C]], and 14% of the DV for [[iron]]; other [[micronutrient]]s are insignificant in quantity.

=== Culinary ===
As the fruit matures, mulberries change in texture and color, becoming succulent, plump, and juicy, resembling a [[blackberry]].<ref name=crfg/> The color of the fruit does not distinguish the mulberry species, as mulberries may be white, lavender or black in color. White mulberry fruits are typically sweet, but not tart, while red mulberries are usually deep red, sweet, and juicy. Black mulberries are large and juicy, with balanced sweetness and tartness.<ref name=crfg/>

The fruit of the East Asian white mulberry – a species extensively naturalized in urban regions of eastern North America – has a different flavor, sometimes characterized as refreshing and a little tart, with a bit of gumminess to it and a hint of vanilla.<ref name="The Cloudforest Gardener"/> In North America, the white mulberry is considered an invasive exotic and has taken over extensive tracts from native plant species, including the red mulberry.<ref name=cabi/><ref>{{cite book |last=Boning |first=Charles R. |title=Florida's Best Fruiting Plants: Native and Exotic Trees, Shrubs, and Vines |year=2006 |publisher=Pineapple Press, Inc. |location=Sarasota, Florida |page=153}}</ref>

Mulberries are used in pies, tarts, wines, [[cordial (drink)|cordial]]s, and [[herbal tea]]s.<ref name=cabi/><ref name=crfg/> The fruit of the black mulberry (native to southwest Asia) and the red mulberry (native to eastern North America) have distinct flavors likened to 'fireworks in the mouth'.<ref name="The Cloudforest Gardener">{{cite web |url=http://www.cloudforest.com/cafe/forum/36705.html |title=which mulberry to buy. advise me! |website=The Cloudforest Gardener |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608054433/http://www.cloudforest.com/cafe/forum/36705.html |archive-date=2013-06-08}}</ref> [[Jam]]s and [[Sharbat (beverage)|sherbet]]s are often made from the fruit in the [[Old World]].

The tender twigs are semisweet and can be eaten raw or cooked.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Angier|first=Bradford|url=https://archive.org/details/fieldguidetoedib00angi/page/148/mode/2up|title=Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants|publisher=Stackpole Books|year=1974|isbn=0-8117-0616-8|location=Harrisburg, PA|pages=148|oclc=799792|author-link=Bradford Angier}}</ref>

=== Supplement ===
The fruit and leaves are sold in various forms as [[dietary supplement]]s.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}

=== Silk industry ===
[[File:Silkworm mulberry tree zetarra marugatze arbolean3.JPG|thumb|left|A silkworm, ''[[Bombyx mori]]'', feeding on a mulberry tree]]

Mulberry leaves, particularly those of the white mulberry, are ecologically important as the sole food source of the [[silkworm]] (''Bombyx mori'', named after the mulberry genus ''Morus''), the [[cocoon (silk)|cocoon]] of which is used to make [[silk]].<ref>{{cite web |work=Plant of the Week |url=http://faculty.ucc.edu/biology-ombrello/POW/Plant-List.htm |title=The mulberry tree and its silkworm connection |author=Ombrello, T |publisher=Union County College |location=Cranford, NJ |access-date=2012-10-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019191608/http://faculty.ucc.edu/biology-ombrello/POW/Plant-List.htm |archive-date=2012-10-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.csb.gov.in/silk-sericulture/silk/mulberry-silk/ |title=Mulberry silk |publisher=Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles - Govt of India |access-date=20 October 2012}}</ref> The [[Bombyx mandarina|wild silk moth]] also eats mulberry.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bisch-Knaden |first1=Sonja |last2=Daimon |first2=Takaaki |last3=Shimada |first3=Toru |last4=Hansson |first4=Bill S. |last5=Sachse |first5=Silke |date=January 2014 |title=Anatomical and functional analysis of domestication effects on the olfactory system of the silkmoth ''Bombyx mori'' |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences |language=en |volume=281 |issue=1774 |pages=20132582 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2013.2582 |issn=0962-8452 |pmid=24258720 |pmc=3843842}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tanaka |first1=Kana |last2=Uda |first2=Yusuke |last3=Ono |first3=Yukiteru |last4=Nakagawa |first4=Tatsuro |last5=Suwa |first5=Makiko |last6=Yamaoka |first6=Ryohei |last7=Touhara |first7=Kazushige |date=9 June 2009 |title=Highly Selective Tuning of a Silkworm Olfactory Receptor to a Key Mulberry Leaf Volatile |journal=Current Biology |language=en |volume=19 |issue=11 |pages=881–890 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2009.04.035 |pmid=19427209 |s2cid=2414559 |issn=0960-9822|doi-access=free }}</ref> Other [[Lepidoptera]] [[larva]]e—which include the [[common emerald]], [[Mimas tiliae|lime hawk-moth]], [[Sycamore (moth)|sycamore moth]], and [[fall webworm]]—also eat the plant.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tang |first1=Rui |last2=Zhang |first2=Feng |last3=Zhang |first3=Zhong-Ning |date=June 2016 |title=Electrophysiological Responses and Reproductive Behavior of Fall Webworm Moths (''Hyphantria cunea'' Drury) are Influenced by Volatile Compounds from Its Mulberry Host (''Morus alba'' L.) |journal=Insects |volume=7 |issue=2 |doi=10.3390/insects7020019 |issn=2075-4450 |pmc=4931431 |pmid=27153095 |page=19|doi-access=free }}</ref>

The Ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated the mulberry for silkworms; at least as early as 220 AD, Emperor [[Elagabalus]] wore a silk robe.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Lyle |first=Katie Letcher |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/560560606 |title=The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts: How to Find, Identify, and Cook Them |publisher=[[FalconGuides]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-59921-887-8 |edition=2nd |location=Guilford, CN |pages=103 |oclc=560560606|orig-year=2004}}</ref> English clergy wore silk vestments from about 1500 onwards.<ref name=":0" /> Mulberry and the silk industry played a role in [[Colony of Virginia|colonial Virginia]].<ref name=":0" />

=== Pigment ===
Mulberry fruit color derives from [[anthocyanin]]s,<ref name="duke">{{cite web |author1=James A. Duke |title=''Morus alba'' L., Moraceae: White mulberry, Russian mulberry, Silkworm mulberry, Moral blanco |url=http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/morus_alba.html |publisher=Handbook of Energy Crops |access-date=8 March 2020 |date=1983|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028142858/http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/morus_alba.html |archive-date=2012-10-28}}</ref> which have unknown effects in humans.<ref name="efsa2010">{{cite journal |title=Scientific opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to various food(s)/food constituent(s) and protection of cells from premature aging, antioxidant activity, antioxidant content and antioxidant properties, and protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/20061 |publisher=EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies |journal=EFSA Journal |year=2010 |volume=8 |issue=2 |page=1489 |doi=10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1752|doi-access=free}}</ref> Anthocyanins are responsible for the attractive colors of fresh plant foods, including orange, red, purple, black, and blue.<ref name=efsa2010/> These colors are water-soluble and easily extractable, yielding natural [[food colorant]]s.<ref name=cabi/> Due to a growing demand for natural food colorants, they have numerous applications in the food industry.<ref name=duke/><ref name=efsa2010/>

A cheap and industrially feasible method has been developed to extract anthocyanins from mulberry fruit that could be used as a fabric dye or food colorant of high [[color value]] (above 100).<ref name=cabi/> Scientists found that, of 31 Chinese mulberry cultivars tested, the total anthocyanin yield varied from 148 to 2725 mg/L of fruit juice.<ref name="liu">{{cite journal |vauthors=Liu X, Xiao G, Chen W, Xu Y, Wu J |title=Quantification and purification of mulberry anthocyanins with macroporous resins |journal=Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology |volume=2004 |issue=5 |pages=326–331 |year=2004 |pmid=15577197 |pmc=1082888 |doi=10.1155/S1110724304403052|doi-access=free }}</ref> Sugars, acids, and vitamins of the fruit remained intact in the residual juice after removal of the anthocyanins, indicating that the juice may be used for other food products.<ref name=liu/><ref name="cabi">{{cite web |title=''Morus nigra'' (black mulberry) |url=https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/34830 |publisher=CABI |access-date=8 March 2020 |date=20 November 2019}}</ref>

Mulberry [[germplasm]] resources may be used for:<ref name=duke/><ref name=cabi/><ref name="usda">{{cite web |title=''Morus alba'' L. |url=https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=24607 |publisher=US Department of Agriculture, National Plant Germplasm System |access-date=8 March 2020 |date=2020}}</ref>
* exploration and collection of fruit yielding mulberry species
* their characterization, cataloging, and evaluation for anthocyanin content by using traditional, as well as modern, means and [[biotechnology]] tools
* developing an information system about these cultivars and varieties
* training and global coordination of genetic stocks
* evolving suitable breeding strategies to improve the anthocyanin content in potential breeds by collaboration with various research stations in the field of sericulture, plant genetics, and breeding, biotechnology and [[pharmacology]]

=== Paper ===
During the Angkorian age of the [[Khmer Empire]] of [[Southeast Asia]], monks at Buddhist temples made paper from the bark of mulberry trees. The paper was used to make books, known as ''[[kraing]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |title=A Khmer Medical Text ''The Treatment of the Four Diseases'' Manuscript |vauthors=Chhem KR, Antelme MR |journal=Siksācakr, Journal of Cambodia Research |pages=33–42 |volume=6 |year=2004 |url=https://www.academia.edu/12005253 }}</ref>

[[Tengujo]] is the thinnest paper in the world. It is produced in Japan and made with kozo (stems of mulberry trees).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Whang |first1=Oliver |title=The Thinnest Paper in the World |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/05/science/the-thinnest-paper-in-the-world.html |access-date=9 May 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=May 5, 2020}}</ref>

=== Wood ===
The wood of mulberry trees is used for [[barrel aging]] of [[Țuică]], a traditional Romanian plum brandy.

==Culture==
[[File:The Mulberry Tree by Vincent van Gogh.jpg|thumb|''Mulberry Tree'' by [[Vincent van Gogh]]]]

A [[Babylonia]]n [[etiological myth]], which [[Ovid]] incorporated in his ''[[Metamorphoses]]'', attributes the reddish-purple color of the mulberry fruits to the tragic deaths of the lovers [[Pyramus and Thisbe]]. Meeting under a mulberry tree (probably the native ''[[Morus nigra]]''),<ref name=ovid>{{cite book |last=Reich |first=Lee |editor1-last=Janick |editor1-first=Jules |editor2-last=Paull |editor2-first=Robert E. |title=The Encyclopedia of Fruit and Nuts |publisher=CABI |date=2008 |pages=504–507 |chapter=''Morus'' spp. mulberry |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cjHCoMQNkcgC&pg=PA504 |isbn=9780851996387}}</ref> Thisbe commits suicide by sword after Pyramus does the same, he having believed, on finding her bloodstained cloak, that she was killed by a lion. Their splashed blood stained the previously white fruit, and the gods forever changed the mulberry's colour to honour their forbidden love.<ref name=ovid/>

The [[nursery rhyme]] "[[Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush]]" uses the tree in the refrain, as do some contemporary American versions of the nursery rhyme "[[Pop Goes the Weasel]]".{{Cn|date=June 2021}}

[[Vincent van Gogh]] featured the mulberry tree in some of his paintings, notably ''Mulberry Tree'' ({{lang|fr|Mûrier}}, 1889, now in [[Pasadena, California|Pasadena]]'s [[Norton Simon Museum]]). He painted it after a stay at an asylum, and he considered it a technical success.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nortonsimon.org/collections/browse_artist.php?name=Gogh%2C+Vincent+van&resultnum=4 |title=Mulberry Tree |author=Gogh, Vincent van |year=1889 |work=van Gogh Collection |publisher=Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, California |access-date=20 October 2012}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==

{{NSRW Poster|Mulberry}}
* [http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=121220 Flora of China: ''Morus'']
* [http://efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=121220 Flora of North America: ''Morus'']
* [http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Morus.html Sorting ''Morus'' names] (University of Melbourne)
* [http://mulberrytrees.co.uk/vegetative/ Propagation (growing) by vegetative method]
* [http://mulberrytrees.co.uk/propagation/ Propagation (growing) by seed method]
* [http://www.le-murier.com/images/garden/large/IMG_0486.JPG photo of 300-year-old Japanese mulberry ]
* [http://www.silkgermplasm.com/ Central Sericultural Germplasm Resources Centre, Ministry of Textiles], Government of India
* [https://archive.today/20130126041341/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-21/delhi/30184188_1_ficus-single-tree-replant Replant a mulberry tree]: article from ''[[The Times of India]]''
* [https://www.moruslondinium.org/ The Morus Londinium project - Mulberry tree heritage in London, UK]

{{Silk fibre}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q44789}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Morus (plant)| ]]
[[Category:Berries]]
[[Category:Fruit trees]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Moraceae genera]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]

Morus (plant) - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article