Morns.] LXVII. URTICACE^E. 407 



6. MOBUS, Linn. 



Trees or shrubs with alternate, simple leaves and deciduous stipules. 

 Flowers unisexual, monoicous or dioicous ; male flowers in deciduous 

 spikes, female flowers in spikes or heads. Perianth in male flower always 

 deeply 4-parted, in female flower of 4, sometimes of 2 or 3 segments or 

 distinct leaves. Stamens 4, opposite to and longer than perianth-seg- 

 ments, inserted around a minute rudimentary ovary, anthers 2-celled, in- 

 trorse, opening longitudinally, filaments flattened at base. Ovary 1 -celled 

 or 2-celled, one cell smaller and often without an ovule, otherwise one 

 ovule in each cell. Fruit a compound berry, consisting of the succulent 

 perianths, enclosing each a 1 -seeded carpel with a thin membranous, after- 

 wards gelatinous pericarp. Embryo curved in a fleshy albumen. 



Perianth of female flowers of 4 leaves or segments, the 2 inner 

 flat or concave, the 2 outer more or less keeled. 

 Female flower-spikes short ovoid. 



Leaves acute ; styles short, free, glabrous or slightly- 

 hairy 1. if. alba. 



Leaves long-acuminate ; styles long, hairy, connate to 



one-fourth their length . . . . . . 2. M. indica. 



Female flower-spikes long, cylindric . . . . . 3. M. laevigata. 



Perianth of female flowers of 2-4, generally 3, equal, oblong 



segments 4. M.serrata. 



Bureau, in the xvii. vol. of De Candolle's Prodromus, unites all these 

 under M. alba, but maintains M. nigra as a distinct species. The matter 

 seems to demand farther inquiry on the spot in India. 



1. M. alba, Linn. Tab. XLVII Eoxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 594; DC. 

 Prodr. xvii. 238 ; Eeichenb. Fl. Germ. t. 657. Syn. M. tatarica, Linn. 

 Mtilberry. Murier blanc, Fr. ; Maulbeerbaum, Germ. ; Moro, It. Vern. 

 Tut, tul, tulklu, chinni, chun. 



A middle-sized deciduous tree, youngest branchlets, petioles, and under 

 side of leaves along nerves slightly pubescent. Leaves ovate, base often 

 cordate, dentate, frequently lobed, blade 2-3 in., petiole J-l in. long, 3 

 basal nerves, middle nerve penniveined. Fl. monoicous, the sexes often 

 on distinct branches (Willkomm). Female spikes pedunculate, peduncle 

 as long as spike or nearly so, perianth and style glabrous or slightly ciliate. 

 Perianth-segments of male flower elliptic. Styles distinct, varying in length. 

 Fruit white or red, sweet. 



From this species M. nigra, Linn. ; Eeichenb. Fl. Germ. t. 658 the 

 Blade Mulberry ; Gelso nero, It. is distinguished by tomentose broader 

 more firm and thick leaves, often 5-nerved, short-pedunculate or subsessile 

 female flower-spikes, perianth and styles densely hairy, and purple, acidu- 

 lous and sweet fruit. Male and female fl. on distinct branches, often dioi- 

 cous (Willkomm). I do not venture to decide whether M. atrojmrpurea, 

 Eoxb. 1. c. 595, with long cylindric dark-purple fruit, brought to Calcutta 

 from China, should be referred to M. alba, of which Bureau makes it a 

 variety. 



The Mulberry is commonly cultivated in Afghanistan, Beluchistan, abundantly 



