Mulberry
More Mulberry Trivia by SmartHerbals:
Morus fossils from the Eocene (56–33.9 million years ago) have been found in north-western India, although they no longer occur there due to the movement of the subcontinent.
Morus trees have separate flowers for the male (stamens) and female organs (pistils). The male flowers can catapult pollen at around 170 metres per second (the speed of sound is 343 metres per second).
Morus alba (white mulberry) is native to Asia, and forms the basis of the silk industry, being the silk moth's favourite food.
Morus alba is considered an invasive species in several countries (including South Africa) – it hybridises with the native Morus rubra (red mulberry) trees (native to the USA), and outgrows native vegetation in riparian areas. Morus nigra is considered a weed in South Africa.
Morus nigra have been cultivated since before Roman times and individual trees can bear fruit for centuries
Morus nigra is used for fresh and preserved fruit, textiles, furniture, cosmetics, dyes, and wine-making.
Mulberries are not, botanically speaking, berries, but a collective fruit consisting of a cluster of drupes (like peaches and olives). The juicy outside is technically part of the flower.
Mulberry is also a British luxury brand
Sources:
Patel, R., et al., 2021. First fossil record of mulberry from Asia. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 292, p.104459.
Taylor, et al., 2006. High-speed pollen release in the white mulberry tree, Morus alba L. Sexual Plant Reproduction, 19(1), pp.19-24.
Risk Assessments for Morus alba & Morus nigra - DFFE, Republic of South Africa
Image: Adobe Stock – natara
