Morus alba
alba
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Photo: Bart Wursten
Mukuvisi Woodland
Photo: Bart Wursten
Mukuvisi Woodland
Photo: Bart Wursten
24, Athlone Avenue Greendale
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. |
| Type location: |
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| 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 |
| FZ divisions: | 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. albaFlora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Morus alba var. alba
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Morus albaAfrican Plant Database: 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