BOTANICAL L\DEX 
101 
MORTIS, (MULBERRY) TOURJVEFORT : 
EIGHTH PAPER. 
r “MS 
all the different varieties of delicious fruits under cultivation or 
brought from a foreign land, we uniformly miss that of the Mulberry, 
which is certainly one of the very best dessert fruits grown, and after 
once planting requires no further attention than to keep the worms 
from devouring its foliage. All the varieties form quite large and spread- 
ing trees, and occupy no more ground than many of the commonly consid- 
ered ornamental trees often seen about a residence. They are all natives of Asia 
(including Asiatic islands), and North America, none being yet found in Europe or 
Africa. There are not more than six or eight true species, according to some au- 
thors, but some species have a large number of varieties which others consider true 
species. The principal species, according to Joseph, Paxton, are 31orus Alba, from 
China, with 11 varieties, which are characterized by heart-shaped leaves with oblique 
bases, ovate or lobed, unequally serrate, smoothish ; grows 15 to 20 feet high. 31. 
Nigra, from Persia, with one variety, leaves heart-shaped, ovate, or sub-5-lobed, un- 
equally toothed, scabrous ; grows 20 or 30 feet high. 31. Rubra, of North America, 
leaves cordate, often 5-lobed, equally serrate, scabrous, pubescent beneath; grows 
from 40 to 70 feet high. To these may be added a few more almost unknown species 
which, however, are valued more as a rarity than for their fruit. They are 31. Cal- 
car-galli, from Australia; 31. Indica, from East India; 31. Tartarica, from Tartary; 
31. 3Iauritiana, from the South Pacific, and 31. Constantinopolitana, from Turkey. 
They all form trees from 12 to 20 feet high, and are quite ornamental, but in our 
climate would require protection during winter. 31. Alba, is also considered a much 
more tender species than the black or red ones, but will stand our ordinary winters 
very well. 31. Nigra, the black mulberry, was introduced into Europe over 700 
years ago and cultivated for its fruit, while the white mulberry was introduced for 
furnishing a food (with its leaves) for the silk-worm, over 500 years ago. Both 
these species, and many of their varieties, are introduced quite sparingly, however, 
into cultivation in America, and served as the foundation for our improved varieties, 
such as Tom Paine, Thompson and English Black from 31orus nigra 
stock, while the celebrated Downing’s everbearing (Fig. 217), was 
raised from seed of the 31. Alba variety multicaulis. This is the only 
worthy fruit so far as we can learn from 31. alba ; but as the fruit is 
so long in season it is good enough. The variety or sub-species, 31. 
multicaulis, is in general similar to the 31. Alba, but seldom grows 
more than from from 12 to 15 feet high and has enormous leaves, 
often from 12 to 14 inches long. The older settled portions of our 
county, viz : New England, New York, etc., are plentifully supplied 
in many a fence corner with bushes of the white mulberry that was 
cultivated years ago for their leaves to feed the silk-worm with, and 
now since “their occupation is gone” they are a great pest. But as 
we wish to write of the American varieties particularly, we must 
dismiss the foreign ones for the present. 
31onts rubra, Linnceus is the common American form but is never a common tree; 
in fact they are more rarely seen than the introduced varieties. We find some old 
authors make mention of another American species, 31orus scabra, but the name is 
now dropped and we cannot find the author’s description or locality of the species. 
The most prominent authors that quote it are Nutall (Genera, page 207), and Sir 
Joseph Paxton. In Young’s “Flora of Texas,” Prof. Buckley gives a third Amer- 
ican species which he calls 31. microphylla, and describes it as follows : “Leaves cor- 
date-ovate or 3-lobed, serrate, teeth mucronate, smooth, veins and margins slightly 
ciliate, stipules small, linear, membranaceous, caudacious; fruit ripe last of May, 
Fig. 216. M. Rubra, 
natural size. 
