Morus alba

White mulberry (Morus alba), fruits

The White Mulberry (Morus alba ) is a plant of the genus mulberry (Morus ) within the family of the mulberry family ( Moraceae ). She is from China and is used in many ways.

Description

The White mulberry grows as a deciduous tree, reaching heights of growth from 1 to 16 meters. The bark is dull gray - green to reddish brown, orange brown dark of old trees. The crown is high and rather narrow, branches are remarkably often broken; sometimes the crown but also develops lower and arched. The bark of thin straight branches is initially covered with fine hair.

The leaf shape is very variable; it occur on the same tree lobed leaves and ungelappte; some leaves are at the base heart-shaped or round, the most pointed ovate. The leaves are divided into petiole and leaf blade. The petiole is about 2.5 cm long, furrowed and slightly hairy. The leaf blades are up to 10 cm long and 8 cm wide, single up to 20 cm long and 12 cm wide in the rule; on the edge, they have large triangular teeth; the leaf veins are hairy on the underside of leaves. Stipules are present.

The fruits are white, later yellowish, but often pink to purple.

Ingredients

In the leaves is 4 to 0.5 - hydroxypipecolic acid included. When the leaves are infected with the fungus Fusarium solani, is Moracine form as phytoalexins. In wood Morin occurs, which can serve as a reagent for the detection of different cations. In the bark Mulberrofurane occur as partially colored lignans.

Dissemination

The white mulberry is native to China. Since it is the most important mulberry - type for silkworm breeding, it is planted in many other climatically suitable regions outside China. In Germany it is not only quite common in parks, but occasionally found as a hedge.

Use

The White Mulberry represents the most important mulberry - type for sericulture

Since the edible fruits are not durable, they are in stores - if at all - only available in dried form. Its taste the white mulberries are very juicy and sweet. In Anatolia, also syrup is extracted from the sap, which is used as a remedy for various minor " aches and pains " or even as a spread.

Cultivated forms

  • ' Fruitless ': A male form which attaches no fruit.
  • ' Laciniata ': This form has very deeply cut leaves.
  • ' Mapleleaf ': A male form which attaches no fruit. The deeply lobed leaves are reminiscent in appearance to maple leaves.
  • ' Nuclear Blast': The leaves of this form are reduced to fringe and ligaments; the shrub thus acts sick and stunted; the English variety name refers to this appearance of ("like after a radioactive contamination ").
  • 'Pendula': In this form, all the branches are drooping. It grows as a small tree with umbrella-shaped crown. The leaves are about 20 cm long and 12 cm width substantially greater than in the type. Are formed fruit.
  • ' Urbana ': A hanging shape similar to 'Pendula', but no fruit attaches.

Swell

  • Alan Mitchell, translated and edited by Gerd Krüssmann: The forest and park trees in Europe: a field guide for dendrologists and nature lovers. Paul Parey, Hamburg and Berlin 1975, ISBN 3-490-05918-2.
  • Rompp: Encyclopedia of Natural Products, Georg Thieme Verlag, 1997, ISBN 3-13-749901-1 (sections description and varieties)
  • Sheet at the Center for New Crops & Plants Products, Purdue University. (Sections description and varieties)
Rosids Rosales Species
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