Morus alba L.
var. alba

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Morus alba var. alba

Photo: Bart Wursten
Mukuvisi Woodland

Morus alba var. alba

Photo: Bart Wursten
Mukuvisi Woodland

Morus alba var. alba

Photo: Bart Wursten
24, Athlone Avenue Greendale

Morus alba var. alba

Photo: Bart Wursten
24, Athlone Avenue Greendale

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:
Common names: Common mulberry (English) White mulberry (English)
Frequency: Frequent escape in urban areas
Status: Introduced
Description:
Small deciduous tree with a rounded crown and often drooping branches. Leaves light green, somewhat glossy with distinct venation; margin coarsely dentate, sometimes lobed. Flowers in small cylindical spikes. Fruit a cylindric cluster of small berry-like syncarps, from almost white to deep red, turning purple-black when ripe.
Notes: Widely cultivated for its edible fruit. It is known as a common naturalised escape particularly around Harare. It is not an agressive invader (yet) but is a declared invader in South Africa.
Derivation of specific name: alba: white
Habitat: Waste land and riverine fringes
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:Sep - Oct
Worldwide distribution: Native of China, naturalised elsewhere
Zimbabwe distribution: C
Growth form(s): Tree, shrub over 2 m.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species: spilosoma lineata (Larval foodplant)
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated: Sunday 2 April 2006
Literature:

Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2003). Figs of Southern and South-Central Africa Umdaus Press, South Africa Pages 336 - 340. As Morus alba (Includes a picture).

Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 233. As Morus alba

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 63.


Other sources of information about Morus alba var. alba:

Our websites:

Flora of Zambia: Morus alba var. alba
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Morus alba var. alba

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Morus alba
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Morus alba
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Morus alba
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Morus alba
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Morus alba
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Morus alba
JSTOR Plant Science: Morus alba
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Morus alba
Plants of the World Online: Morus alba
Tropicos: Morus alba
Wikipedia: Morus alba


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Species information: Morus alba var. alba.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=120120, retrieved 19 April 2024

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