Morus MORACEAE 395 



Plants herbaceous, tall, erect or long and twining. 



Leaves mostly 3-lobed, rarely the blade lobed deeper than to the middle or the upper 



ones not lobed; long, twining, perennial plants 1972. Humuiajs, p. 396. 



Leaves 5-7-divided to near the base, the divisions narrow; tall, erect annual plants; 



introduced 1973. Cannabis, p. 397. 



1913. MORUS [Tourn.] L. Mulberry 



Leaves soft-pubescent with spreading hairs over the entire lower surface, rarely lobed 

 except on vigorous branches or coppice growth, abruptly long-acuminate at the 

 apex, cordate or subcordate at the base; fruit dark purple or black, mostly 2.5-3.5 



cm long 1. M. rubra. 



Leaves glabrous beneath except the midrib or midrib and principal nerves, these ciliate- 

 pubescent with appressed hairs. 

 Leaves of an ovate type, rarely lobed; fruit whitish. (See excluded species no. 183, 



p. 1040.) M. alba. 



Leaves of an ovate type, mostly 3-5-lobed; fruit mostly 1-2 cm long, reddish or 

 purplish 2. M. alba var. tatarica. 



1. Morus rubra L. Red Mulberry. Map 806. Found as scattered trees 

 probably in every county of the state. Its distribution in the primitive 

 forest can only be conjectured, but since it is a low, round-topped tree and 

 very intolerant of shade, its distribution was, no doubt, very limited. It 

 is abundantly distributed by birds and I have seen it as a frequent to 

 common tree in second growth forests where it is soon shaded out by 

 taller species by the time it reaches a diameter of 4-8 inches. Along fences 

 and in fields it often reaches a diameter of 1-2 feet and usually has a 

 clear bole of 8-10 feet. It is rarely seen in the high forest except in an 

 opening. 



Vt. to Mich, and S. Dak., southw. to Fla. and Tex. 



2. Morus alba L. var. tatarica (L.) Loud. Russian Mulberry. Map 

 807. This species was formerly recommended for forest planting for 

 growing fence post timber. It is a small, crooked tree and is a failure for 

 the purpose recommended. It is very hardy and annually produces an 

 abundant crop of fruit which is greedily eaten by birds. Through the 

 agency of birds this species has become widely distributed in woodland 

 and along fences. A neighbor 3 blocks away has a large tree in his yard 

 and each year I have the task of digging about 50-100 seedlings from our 

 garden. 



Probably introd. from Russia, hence its common name. 



1918. MACLURA Nutt. 



1. Maclura pomifera (Raf.) Schneid. (Toxylon pomiferum Raf. of 

 Britton and Brown, Illus. Flora, ed. 2.) OSAGE-ORANGE. Map 808. This 

 tree was formerly much planted for farm fences and windbreaks, especial- 

 ly in our prairie area. Since land has become valuable its use has been 

 discontinued. It has sparingly escaped in all parts of the state and it is a 

 wonder that it has not become an obnoxious weed tree. I recall that 

 I studied two lines of large trees that were planted on each side of a 

 deserted lane in the Ohio River bottoms in Perry County. The line of trees 



