THE MULBERRY FAMILY, 143 



THE MULBERRY FAMILY. 



Moracece, 



Trees or shrubs, mostly witJi a milky juice and witJi siuiple, alternate 

 or opposite petioled leaves witJi large ^early-f alii /li^ stipules j and small 

 flowers, either mojuvcious or dioecious which grow in axillary clusters. 

 Petals : 7ione. 



RED nULBERRV. 



Morns riibra. 



FAMILY SHAPE HEIGHT RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



I\Iulberry. CroTvn.roufui^ dense; \^-6o/eeL Texas and Florida to Aprils May. 

 branches, spreading. Vermont and zuestward. Fruit: June. 



Bark: greyish brown ; rough and separating into plates. Leaves : three to 

 seven inches long ; ovate ; approaching orbicular, with pointed apex and rather 

 cordate base ; or frequently occurring on vigourous shoots with unequal lobes at 

 the sides when the sinuses are rounded ; coarsely serrate ; thin ; yellow-green 

 and rough on the upper surface when young, becoming dark bluish green and 

 smooth ; paler and downy or smooth below. Ribs : whitish and distinct. 

 Floioers : growing in axillary, catkin-like spikes; either dicecious, or monoecious 

 usually the latter. Fruit : similar in appearance to a long, wild blackberry ; red, 

 turning when ripe to a rich, dark purple; edible ; sweet. 



Sometimes when the spring takes a precocious frolic small leaves burst 

 out on the mulberry in the low country as early as January and by the in- 

 coming of March the fruit, although it does so innocently, dangles tempt- 

 ingly to some northern blast which swoops down upon it and chills even 

 the sap which so merrily is running to the tree's top-most tips. So is often 

 disproved the old superstition of western countries that frost ceases as 

 soon as the mulberry comes into leaf. The fruit which has too insipid a 

 flavour to be much eaten, is being considerably made into syrups. 



M. alba, white mulberry, an exotic species, is much planted about 

 habitations. I>y its white, pinkish tinted fruit it is known and because its 

 leaves are smooth and lustrous on both sides. In the east they have long 

 been the favourite food for silk worms. 



Broussonetia papyri/era, paper mulberry, is frequently seen in the south 

 where it has escaped from cultivation, it being originally an introduced 

 tree from China and Japan. Its leaves might very readily be mistaken for 

 those of Morus rubra. The fleshy fruit, however, is globular, or club-shaped 

 and not edible. 



