152 MULBERRY. 



height. The leaves are numerous, on short footstalks, cordate, 

 somewhat ovate, serrated, veined, from three to four inches 

 long and nearly as broad, deep green, and rough with minute 

 tubercles above, paler and villous beneath. The flowers are 

 produced in ovate, drooping catkins, of which the sterile ones 

 are longer and more slender, each male flower is composed of 

 four caducous, ovate, erect sepals, inclosing four filaments 

 bearing simple anthers ; the female flowers consist of four 

 sepals, which are permanent, and ultimately become fleshy ; 

 the germen is roundish, with a short style and two linear-subu- 

 late, hirsute, erect stigmas. The fruit (called a berry) consists 

 of several acini, or small dark purple berries, formed by the 

 development of the calycine leaves over the matured germens, 

 closely imbricated on a fleshy cylindrical receptacle ; each of 

 which is obovate, compressed, obtuse, and tipped with the 

 remains of the style, and contains, in the midst of its succulent 

 lobes, a single triangular-ovate, compressed, one-seeded nut. 

 Plate 34, fig. 3, (a) male floret previous to the expansion of the 

 anthers ; (6) male floret expanded ; (c) female floret. 



The Common Mulberry is originally a native of Persia, 

 whence it has been introduced into Italy, and thence into 

 England, where it has been cultivated since the middle of the 

 sixteenth century, and is now sufficiently common. It flowers 

 in June, and the fruit ripens in September. 



The generic name Morus is derived from the Greek po^tcc, 

 and that from the Celtic mor, signifying black. The ancients 

 fabled that the fruit of the Mulberry, which before was white, 

 changed to a deep red on absorbing the blood of Pyramus and 

 Thisbe, self-slain beneath its shade. 



There are a few other species, such as the White Mulberry, 

 (M. alba,) so called from the colour of its fruit, the leaves of 

 which are much used for feeding silk- worms in the south of 

 Europe. The Dyer's Mulberry (M. tincloria) is valued for its 

 wood, which dyes yellow, and is imported under the name 

 of Fustick-wood. 



General Uses. — The wood of the Mulberry is of slow 

 growth, but close-grained, tolerably hard, very durable under 

 water, and may be applied to a variety of uses in turnery and 

 carving. The inner bark is tough and fibrous, and is made into 

 baskets, mats, cordage, ropes, and brown paper. The fruit 



