Morus alba
Morus alba, known as white mulberry, common mulberry and silkworm mulberry, is a fast-growing, small to medium-sized mulberry tree which grows to tall. It is native to China and is widely cultivated and naturalized elsewhere.
The white mulberry is widely cultivated to feed the silkworms employed in the commercial production of silk. It is also notable for the rapid release of its pollen, which is launched at greater than half the speed of sound. Its berries are edible when ripe.
Description
The tree can grow to tall. It is generally a short-lived tree with a lifespan comparable to that of humans, although there are some specimens known to be more than 250 years old. Generally, the trees are deciduous in temperate regions, but trees grown in tropical regions may be evergreen. On young, vigorous shoots, the leaves may be up to long, and deeply and intricately lobed, with the lobes rounded. On mature trees, the leaves are generally long, unlobed, cordate at the base and rounded to acuminate at the tip, and serrated on the margins.The flowers are single-sex catkins; male catkins are long, and female catkins long. Male and female flowers are usually found on separate trees although they may occur on the same tree. The fruit is long. In the wild it is deep purple, but in many cultivated plants it varies from white to pink. It is sweet but insipid, unlike the more intense flavor of the red mulberry and black mulberry. The seeds are widely dispersed in the droppings of birds that eat the fruit.
The white mulberry is scientifically notable for the rapid plant movement involved in pollen release from its catkins. The stamens act as catapults, releasing stored elastic energy in just 25 μs. The resulting movement is approximately, about half the speed of sound, making it the fastest known movement in the plant kingdom.
Taxonomy
Two varieties of Morus alba are recognized:- Morus alba var. alba
- Morus alba var. ''multicaulis''
Distribution and habitat
It is widely naturalized in disturbed areas such as roadsides and the edges of tree lots, along with urban areas in much of North America, where it hybridizes readily with the locally native red mulberry . There is now serious concern for the long-term genetic viability of the red mulberry because of extensive hybridization in some areas.
The species is now extensively planted and widely naturalized throughout the warm temperate world and in subarctic regions as well, and would survive in elevations as high as. They thrive in mildly acidic, well drained, sandy loam and clayey loam soils, though they can withstand poor soils as well.
Cultivation
Mulberry cultivation is generally found in both tropical and temperate regions, although the temperature of 24-28 °C is ideal for cultivating mulberry. Mulberry thrives from 28 °N and 55 °N latitude under varying climatic conditions ranging from temperate and tropical situated north of the equator. It grows well in areas where annual rainfall varies between with a minimum of nine to 13 hours of sunshine per day. Mulberry can be grown up to above sea level. Mulberry blooms well in warm, rich, fertile, well-drained, loamy to clayey soils, porous with strong moisture-holding ability. The optimal soil pH range is 6.2–6.8. Because mulberry is a hardy crop, the soil moisture can be used to a greater extent by these plants. However, the analysis of India's soils stated that the status of sodium, potassium, and phosphorus should be set. When some deviation occurs then the insects or fungi will attack mulberry plants.Although the trees can be reproduced by seed, to maintain the proprieties of the mothertree, mulberry are usually reproduced by stem cutting, or sometimes by grafting. Depending on what the mulberry trees are used for, production of fodder, timber, leaves for silkworms or fruit, several cultivation systems are possible, such as hedges, trees or pollarded trees.
The tree is vigorous and characterized by good disease resistance, as many parts of the tree are rich in antimicriobial and antifungal compounds.
History
Cultivation of white mulberry to nourish silkworms began more than 4,700 years ago in China and has since been introduced in other countries. The Ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated the mulberry for silkworms. At least as early as 220 AD, Emperor Elagabalus wore a silk robe. It was introduced into other parts of Europe in the twelfth century and into Latin America after the Spanish conquest in the fifteenth century. In 2002, 6,260 km2 of land were devoted to the species in China.It has been grown widely from the Indian subcontinent west through Afghanistan and Iran to southern Europe for more than a thousand years for leaves to feed silkworms.
Toxicity
Tests on laboratory rats have not found mulberry extract to present significant toxicity.According to a coroner's report, Lori McClintock, wife of US politician Tom McClintock, died in December 2021 from dehydration due to gastroenteritis caused by "adverse effects of white mulberry leaf ingestion"; the leaf is used as a dietary supplement or herbal remedy for weight loss and diabetes. However, many experts questioned this conclusion, citing numerous safety studies.
Uses
Leaves
White mulberry leaves are the preferred feedstock for silkworms, and sericulture was therefore one of the main reasons of the expansion of the cultivation of this tree. White mulberry are also cut to feed livestock because of its interesting properties. Mulberry could be an interesting alternative for fodder production as it is rich in protein and energy, and has a high degree of digestibility, in addition to being a fast and vigorous growing plant. Furthermore, the polyphenolic content of the leaves could have a positive impact on animals health and at the same time reducing their methane emissions.The leaves are prepared as tea in Korea. In Asia leaves are also consumed for medical purposes, which are used as an anti-hyperglycemic supplement for diabetes patients. In traditional Chinese medicine, bark, leaves and the fruits are used to treat fever, lower blood pressure, protect liver damage, improve eyesight, and facilitate discharge of urine.