Morus nigra (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Morus nigra L.

Protologue: Sp. pl. 2: 986 (1753).

Family: Moraceae

Synonyms

• Morus laciniata Miller (1768),
• Morus scabra Moretti (1841).

Vernacular names

• Black mulberry, common mulberry, sycamine (En)
• Mûrier noir (Fr)
• Moral negro, morera negra (Sp)
• Indonesia: murbei (Bahassa Indonesia), besaran (Javanese), kitan (Lampung)
• Cambodia: moon
• Vietnam: dâu tam, dâu gủa den

Distribution

Originating from western Asia, but much cultivated in that region and the Mediterranean since ancient times. Nowadays cultivated and occasionally naturalized in most tropical and temperate regions, though in the tropics only at higher elevations. Only occasionally planted in Malesia.

Uses

M. nigra is most commonly cultivated for its tasty fruits, eaten raw or prepared into juice, wine, jam, etc. The fruits are also applied medicinally. Occasionally it is an ingredient in cough syrup. In India also used as dye. The leaves are fed to silkworms, but generally considered inferior to those of the white mulberry.

Observations

• A small to fairly large, slow-growing dioecious tree up to 35 m tall, with spreading crown, picturesque when old.
• Leaves broadly ovate, 5-16 cm √ó 5-16 cm, deeply cordate at base, shortly and bluntly acuminate at apex, rough above, pubescent below, with a striate, 2-3.5 cm long petiole.
• Male spikes 1.5-2.5 cm long, female spikes ovoid, 1-2 cm long; syncarp ovoid, 1.5-2.5 cm long, dark purple to black.

M. nigra is cultivated in humid regions, up to 2000 m altitude.

Selected sources

• Bailey, L.H., 1947. The standard cyclopedia of horticulture in three volumes. The Macmillan Company, New York. 3639 pp.
• [131] Bart, C., 1932. Action hypoglycémiante des feuilles de mûrier [Hypoglycaemic action of mulberry leaves]. Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances et Mémoires de la Société de Biologie et de ses Filiales 109: 897-899.
• [478] Ghafoor, A., 1985. Moraceae. In: Nasir, E. & Ali, S.I. (Editors): Flora of Pakistan No 171. National Herbarium (Stewart Collection), Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan. 54 pp.
• [580] Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's-Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.
• [900] Mansfeld, R., 1986. Verzeichnis landwirtschaflicher und gaertnerischer Kulturpflanzen (ohne Zierpflanzen) [Register of agricultural and horticultural plants (withouth ornamentals)]. 2nd Edition, revised by J. Schultze-Motel. 4 volumes. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany. 1998 pp.
• [1178] Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.
• [1252] Rohwer, J.G., 1993. Moraceae. In: Kubitzki, K., Rohwer, J.G. & Bittrich, V. (Editors): The families and genera of vascular plants. Volume 2. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany. p. 438-453.
• [1275] Samsijah, 1980. Pengaruh bentuk dan frequensi pemangkasan tanaman murbei terhadap produksi daunnya [Effect of shape and frequency of mulberry pruning on leaf production]. Laporan 333. Lembaga Penelitian Hutan, Bogor, Indonesia. 29 pp.
• [1276] Samsijah, 1986. Jenis daun murbei dan ras ulat yang cocok untuk pengembangan persutraan alam di Payakumbuh, Sumatra Barat [Leaves of mulberry species and silkworm races suitable for the development of the silk industry in the Payakumbuh a
• [1470] Townsend, C.C., 1980. Amaranthaceae. In: Dassanayake, M.D. & Fosberg, F.R. (Editors): A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon. Vol. 1. Amerind Publishing Co., New Delhi, India. pp. 1-57.
• [1521] Verheij, E.W.M. & Coronel, R.E. (Editors), 1991. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 2. Edible fruits and nuts. Pudoc, Wageningen, the Netherlands. 446 pp.

Main genus page

• Morus (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen
• D.S. Alonzo