﻿Trees of New York State 213 



MORACEAE 



Morus rubra L. 



Red Mulberry 



Habit — A tree of medium size, usually 30-50 feet in height with a trunk 

 diameter of I-IV2 feet, under optimum conditions in the Ohio and Missis- 

 sippi valleys sometimes 70 feet tall. Trunk short, dividing near the 

 ground into stout, ascending limbs to form a dense, broad, round-topped 

 crown. 



Leaves — Alternate, broadly ovate to ovate-orbicular, 3-5 inches long, 2i/^-i 

 inches wide, acute at the apex, cordate at the base, singly or doubly ser- 

 rate on the margin or mitten-shaped or 3-lobed with deep, broad, oblique, 

 rounded sinuses, at maturity thin, membranous, veiny, dark bluish green 

 and nearly smooth above, pale pubescent below, borne on stout petioles 

 %— 1% inches long which exude a milky juice when broken. 



Flowers — Appearing in May and early June when the leaves are about half 

 grown, chiefly dioecious, the staminate in cylindrical, pedunculate spikes 

 from the axils of the inner bud-scales or lower leaves, the pistillate in 

 oblong, sometimes androgynous, pedunculate, densely-flowered spikes from 

 the upper leaf-axils. Staminate flower with deeply -i-lobed calyx, its lobes 

 ovate, rounded, revolute toward the apex. Stamens i, inserted opposite 

 the calyx-lobes, at first included but straightening elastically at anthesis 

 and becoming exserted. Pistillate flower with -i-parted calyx. Calyx- 

 lobes ovate to obovate, pubescent above, the outer pair valvate and inclos- 

 ing the others, becoming fleshy and closely investing the ovary in fniit. 

 Pistil consisting of an ovate, flattened, glabrous, pale green ovary sur- 

 mounted by a short style and 2 spreading white stigmas. 



Fruit — A fleshy, multiple, pedunculate, cylindrical syucarp, 1-1 y^ inches 

 long, maturing during July in New York, composed of many small drupes 

 each enclosed in a fleshy calyx, at first greenish red, at maturity dark 

 purple, juicy and edible. Nutlet ovoid, sharp-pointed, light bro\\^l. 



Winter characters — Twigs slender, slightly zigzag, smooth, semi-lustrous to 

 dull, pale reddish or orange-browni, at length dark reddish brown. Ter- 

 minal bud absent. Lateral buds alternate, ovate, rounded or bluntly 

 pointed at the apex, somewhat divergent and laterally inclined, chestnut- 

 brown, about 1/4 of an inch long. Mature bark thin, dark reddish brown, 

 with longitudinal, flaky plates. 



Habitat — Prefers deep moist soils along stream courses, in rich woods, and 

 on fertile slopes in admixture with other species. 



Bangs — Central New England, southern Ontario, west to Nebraska and 

 Kansas, south to Florida and eastern Texas. Zones A, B, and C. 



Uses — Not an important timber species because of its mediocre size and 

 scattered distribution in admixture with other species. Wood soft, light, 

 weak, coarse-grained, durable in contact with the soil, pale orange turn- 

 ing russet-brown with exposure to the light, with thick, lighter sapwood. 

 Used for railroad ties, fence posts, loose cooperage and furniture. 



