MOEACE.E 



329 



western Asia, Indo-China, China, Japan, the Bonin Islands and the mountains of the Indian 

 Archipelago. Two species occur in North America. The most valuable species, Morut 

 alba L., a native of China and Formosa, and largely cultivated in many countries for 

 its leaves, which are the best food of the silkworm, has been planted in large quantities 

 in the eastern United States; and Morus nigra L., probably a native of Persia, has been 

 introduced into the southern and Pacific states for its large dark-colored juicy fruit. Morus 

 produces straight-grained durable light brown or orange-colored valuable wood, and 

 sweet acidulous and refreshing fruits. 



Morus is the classical name of the Mulberry-tree. 



CONSPECTUS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES. 



Leaves coated below with pale pubescence; lobes of the stigma long; syncarp oblong, dark 

 purple. 1. M. rubra (A, C). 



Leaves glabrous or pubescent below; lobes of the stigma short; syncarp subglobose or 

 short-ovoid, nearly black. 2. M. microphylk (C, E, H). 



1. Morus rubra L. Red Mulberry. 



Leaves ovate, oblong-ovate or semiorbicular, abruptly contracted into a long broad 

 point or acute at apex, more or less deeply cordate or occasionally truncate at base, coarsely 

 and occasionally doubly serrate with incurved callous-tipped teeth, often, especially on 



Fig. 300 



vigorous young shoots, 3-lobed by broad deep oblique lateral rounded sinuses, when they 

 unfold yellow-green, slightly pilose on the upper surface and hoary-tomentose on the lower 

 surface, at maturity thin, dark bluish green, glabrous, smooth or scabrate above, pale 

 and more or less pubescent below with short white hairs thickest on the orange-colored 

 midrib, and on the primary veins arcuate and united near the margins and connected by 

 reticulate veinlets, or sometimes hoary-tomentose below (var. tomentosa Bureau), 3'-5' 

 long, 2|'-4<' wide; turning bright yellow in the autumn; petioles stout, hoary-tomentose 

 at first, becoming glabrous, f'-lj' in length; stipules lanceolate, acute, abruptly enlarged 

 and thickened at base, sometimes tinged with red above the middle, coated with long white 

 hairs, and often 1' in length. Flowers appearing with the unfolding of the leaves; stami- 

 nate in narrow spikes 2'-2|' long, on stout light green peduncles covered with pale hairs: 

 calyx divided nearly to the base into oblong concave lobes rounded at apex and hirsute on 

 the outer surface; stamens with slightly flattened filaments narrowed from the base to the 

 apex, and bright green anthers, their connectives orbicular, conspicuous, bright green; pis- 



