CXCIII. MOEE^.. 671 



tiferous on their inner face or throughout their length ; sometimes lateral, filiform, 

 more or less divided at the top {Ficus, Dorstenia) , or undivided {Broussonetia, Gee.ro- 

 pia, &c.) ; ovule solitary, either inserted in the middle of the wall, usually campylo- 

 tropous or anatropous {Artocarpus),ov basilar and orthotropous {Gecropia), micropyle 

 superior. Feuit : 1. An achene {Maclwa) or deupb {Morus), enveloped by the 

 accrescent succulent calyx, sometimes on a fleshy gynophore {Broussonetia, &e.) ; 

 2. A UTRICLE sunk in a sub-succulent {Dorstenia) or succulent {Ficus) receptacle. 

 Seed with a crustaeeous fragile or finely membranous integument, hihim ventral. 

 Embkto in the axis of a fleshy more or less copious albumen, sometimes ; cotyledons 

 oblong, plane, incumbent; radicle superior. 



Teibe I. AETOCAEPEJi. — rilaments usually inflexed in bud. Ovule ventral, basal or 

 apical. Brosvmum, Antiaris, Olmedia, Gecropia, Tropins, Galactodendron, Bleehrodia, Strehlus, 

 *Artocarpus, &c. 



Tribe II. MoEEJi. — Filaments usually straight in bud. Ovule ventral or apical. *F{cus, 

 *Borstenia, *Morus, *Maclura, Bpicarpurus, *Broussmietia, Treculia,. &o. — Ed.] 



MweeB belong to the class Urtidnece. They are so closely allied to ArtocarpeiB that Tr^cul, who 

 has published a learned memoir on the latter, indicates as the only diagnostic character the inflexion of 

 the filaments in the bud of Morece, while in all Artocarpeen, except Trophis, the filaments are erect before 

 as well as after flowering ; but this diagnosis fails in Ficus, so that if Fiais be retained in Moreee, and 

 Trophis in Artocarpea, there is no line of demarcation between the two families. Morece are also very 

 near CeliideeB (which see). The true TTrticew, with which they were formerly united, only differ in their 

 watery juice and habit. The tenacity of the cortical fibres is common to both families. 



Morem inhabit the tropical and sub-tropical regions of both hemispheres. A few occur in temperate 

 North America. The common Fig, a native of Asiq, Minor, ja now spread over the Mediterranean 

 basin. 



MorecB possess a milky juice, scanty and nearly colourless if} some, very copious in others, acrid and 

 corrosive in most, containing various matters — such as mani)ite and succinic acid in Mulberries, a colouring 

 principle in Maclwa, an elastic resin (india-rubber) in rasjny Figs. Astringent principles are combined with 

 these in the bark, and mucilaginous and aromatic qualities in the herbaceous parts, which give to different 

 species of this large family very various properties ; some are lenitive medicines, others stimulants, others 

 poisonous. The inflorescence, at first charged with an acrid juice, acquires when ripe quite opposite qualities. 

 Mucilage and sugar are then developed in it in such proportions, that the fruit becomes a very nourish- 

 ing food, or an acidulous cooling medicine which is succcessfully employed in a great many dis- 

 orders. 



The Black Mulberry {Moras nigra), a native of Persia, has been cultivated in Europe from the 

 earliest times. Its drupaceous fruit (due to the flowers being densely spiked) owes its acidulous sugary 

 taste in great part to the succulent calyces. It is nutritious and refreshing, and a slightly astringent 

 syrup is prepared from it before it is quite ripe. The hark of its root is acrid, bitter, purgative and 

 vermifuge ; and Dioscorides states that it destroys taenia. Its Isaves may be employed to feed silkworms, 

 but for this important purpose the White Mulberry {M. alba) is especially used. Both the White Mul- 

 berry and silkworm are natives of China, where the former is cultivated for rearing this insect. Thence 

 this culture passed into Persia, and on to Constantinople, in the reign of Justinian; thence into Spain, and 

 later, in the time of Roger, into Sicily and Calabria ; finally, at the conclusion of the French war for 

 the conquest of the kingdom of Naples, both tree and insect were introduced into the south of France, 

 where, thanks to Charles VIII., Henry IV., and especially to Colbert, M. alba is now almost naturalized. 

 The Chinese attribute diuretic and anthelminthic qualities to the root of this species, and febrifugal to 

 its leaves. The fruit aijd young leaves of M. indiea are eaten in India, as are those of M. rubra in North 

 America, and M. celtiSifolia and corylifolia in South America. M. pabularia is cultivated for forage in 



