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MORUS NIGRA. 
Common Mulberry Tree* 
Class MoN(EciA. — Order Tetrandria. 
Nat. Ord. Scabrid^, Linn. Urtic^, Juss, 
CrEN. Char. Male. Ca/yx 4-parted. Corolla 0. 
Female. Ca/yx 4-Ieaved. CorollaO. Styles 2, 
Seed solitary, invested with the pulpy calyx. 
Spec. Char. Leaves heart-shaped, scabrous above, villose 
underneath. 
This species of Mulberry is a native of Persia, whence it was 
brought to Italy, where it became naturalized, and has gradually 
spread over Europe. It was first introduced into England in 
the year 1596, and is now abundantly cultivated in most parts of 
the country. The flowers are produced in June, and the fruit is ripe 
in August or September. 
This tree rises to the height of about thirty feet, much branched, 
and covered with a brownish grey bark ; the leaves are numerous, 
cordate, serrated, veined, from three to four inches long, and nearly 
the same breadth : rough on the upper surface, of a deep green, 
paler and villous underneath, and stand upon short footstalks; 
both the male and female flowers are produced upon the same tree; 
the male flowers are in close roundish catkins, composed of 
caducous florets, each floret consists of a calyx divided into four, 
oval, concave, erect segments : inclosing four filaments supporting 
simple anthers ; the female flowers consist of a roundish germen, 
inclosed in a calyx, resembling that of the male, bearing two reflexed 
styles, crowned with simple stigmas ; the fruit is a large succulent, 
compound berry, composed of a number of acini, each containing a 
§ingle seecK and attached to the common peduncle. 
There are several species of mulberries,! of which the Morus 
Alba, a native of China, is much cultivated for the purpose of 
« Fig. a. The fruit, b. The male flower, c. The female flower, 
t Five species are cultivated in our botanic gardens, natives of China, Tartar^, 
Italy, North America, and the West Indies. Hort. Cant. 
VOL. I. 2 I 
