Home | > | List of families | > | Moraceae | > | Morus | > | mesozygia |
Synonyms: |
Morus lactea (Sim) Mildbr. |
Common names: | African mulberry (English) |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Medium-sized to large, spreading deciduous tree with white latex. Leaves ovate or elliptic, thinly textured, 5-15 cm long, glossy dark green above dull and paler below, hairless, distinctly 3-veined from the base, prominent on both surfaces; apex tapering into a long narrow driptip; margin serrate or dentate, mainly in the apical half. Inflorescences axillary, unisexual on different trees; male flowers in spikes; female flowers in rounded heads. Fruit a subglobose cluster of small berry-like syncarps, c. 1.5 cm in diameter, pale green when ripe. |
Notes: | In Zimbabwe it is only known from a few specimens in the Rusitu Valley. |
Derivation of specific name: | mesozygia: from meso-, middle and -zygon, joined (Gr); possibly referring to the fact that the segments or syncarps of the fruit are only partially joined, compared to the more compact and completely joined syncarps in the cultivated mul |
Habitat: | Occurring in evergreen forest. |
Altitude range: (metres) | |
Flowering time: | Oct - Nov |
Worldwide distribution: | From Senegal to Ethiopia and South to Angola, Zambia and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | E |
Growth form(s): | Tree. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | Critically Endangered |
Insects associated with this species: | Cyrestis camillus sublineata (Larval foodplant) spilosoma lineata (Larval foodplant) |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Saturday 19 September 2009 |
Literature: |
Berg, C.C. (1991). Moraceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(6) Pages 14 - 16. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E. & Burrows, S.M. (2003). Figs of Southern and South-Central Africa Umdaus Press, South Africa Pages 332 - 335. (Includes a picture). Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 72. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 39. Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Page 130. Golding, J.S. (ed.) (2002). Zimbabwe Plant Red Data List. Southern African Plant Red Data Lists. SABONET 14 Page 166. 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. |
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