STANDLEY- — TREES AND SHRUBS OF MEXICO. 208 



rate (botli kinds often on the same branches) ; flowers dioecious, the staminate 

 in slender dense catkins, the pistillate in globose heads, the receptacle fleshy 

 in fruit ; seeds brown ; wood light yellow, becoming darker on exposure, hard, 

 heavy, close-grained, strong, tough, taking an excellent polish, its specific grav- 

 ity about 0.71 (reported as high as 0.98). "Moral liso," "moral de clavo " 

 (Tabasco) ; " palo mora" (Colombia, Isthmus of Tehuantepec) ; "moral ama- 

 rillo," " moradilla " (Veracruz); " yaga-huil " (Oaxaca^ Zapotec, Reko) ; 

 "moral" (Tabasco, Oaxaca, etc., Colombia); "palo moral" (Oaxaca) ; "palo 

 amarillo " (Tabasco, etc., El Salvador) ; "mora" (Sinaloa, El Salvador, Guate- 

 mala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Santo Domingo, Porto Rico, Nicaragua) ; "palo de 

 mora" (Costa Rica, Porto Rico); " dinde " (Colombia); "moral del pals," 

 " mora blanca," " moradeloma," " fustete," " mora de piedra " (Cuba) ; " brasil " 

 (Costa Rica) ; "mora macho," "palo amarillo" (Santo Domingo). 



The wood is very durable and is used for furniture, interior fijiish, wheels, 

 etc. Its most important use, however, is as a dye-wood ; it furnishes a yellow, 

 brown, or green dye, the coloring properties being due to two principles, morin 

 or morindon, and moritannic acid. It is the fustic of commerce,' long an im- 

 portant article of export to Europe and the United States from tropical Amer- 

 ica. Large quantities have been exported from Mexico, especially from Tabasco. 

 It is usually prepared in the form of sticks GO to 120 cm. long and 7.5 to 20 cm. 

 in diameter. The bark is used sometimes for tanning. 



Various medicinal properties are reported for this tree, in Central America 

 and the AVest Indies. The bitter bark, with a disagreeable odor, is said to be 

 astringent, tonic, and in large doses purgative; it has been used for venereal 

 diseases. The ashes of the wood have been used in Jamaica for gout and 

 rheumatism. The fruit is astringent and useful in the form of a gargle for 

 sore throat and mouth. The root is reputed diuretic. In Nicaragua an in- 

 fusion of the flowers is used for colds. When ripe the fruit is sweet and full 

 of milky juice, and it is sometimes eaten. 



2. Chlorophora mollis Fernald, Proc. Amer. Acad. 40: 52. 1904. 



Known only from the type locality, TomelUn Canyon, Oaxaca. 



Similar to the preceding species except for the copious pubescence on all 

 parts. 



2. MORUS L. Sp. PI. 986. 1753. 



Refekence: Bureau in DC Prodr. 17: 237-249. 1873. 



Trees; leaves thin, deciduous, 3-nerved, dentate or often lobed, especially on 

 young branches; flowers green, monoecious, the two kinds of flowers in sepa- 

 rate catkins ; fruit a syncarp, composed of numerous small juicy 1-seeded drupes. 



One other species, M. rubra L., the red mulberry, is native in the United 

 States. With regard to it, Havard says,^ " There is some ground for belief that 

 our native Red Mulberry was cultivated [by the Indians], the fine quality and 

 great quantity of the fruit being mentioned by De Soto and others." Morus 

 alba L., native of Asia, the white nmlberry ("moral bianco"), with sweet and 

 insipid, white or violet fruit is cultivated in Mexico. It has become natural- 

 ized in the United States, where it was introduced at an early date as food for 

 silkworms. It is said to have been introduced into Mexico for the same pur- 

 pose about 1522. Mulberries of other species also have been used for feeding 

 silkworms, ilorus nigra L.. the black mulberry ("moral negro"), of Asiatic 

 origin, is cultivated in Mexico for its large, juicy, well-flavored, red or black 

 fruit. 



' Rhus cotinus L., of Europe, also is known as fustic. 

 'Bull. Torrey Club 22: 104. 1895. 



