Scientific Name : Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) L’Hér. ex Vent.
Common Name : Paper Mulberry
Chinese Name : 構樹，鹿仔樹
Family : MORACEAE
Local distribution status : Native species
| Origins | East, Southern and Southwestern China. Also originated in India and Southeast Asia, e.g. Laos and Vietnam. |
|---|---|
| Meanings of name |
The generic name Broussonetia is named after Pierre Marie Auguste Broussonet (1761-1807), who was an illustrious French naturalist from Montpellier. The specific epithet papyrifera describes the use of the leaves and bark for paper making. Since people in the past loved feeding deer, cattle and sheep with Paper Mulberry’s young leaves, the tree is also named as ‘鹿仔樹’. Its leaves are thick papery but with the fruits that are outwardly similar to those of Morus alba (White Mulberry), hence named as ‘Paper Mulberry’. |
| Ecology | ‘Ubiquitous’ is how we describe Paper Mulberry. The tree just grows rampantly so you can find it effortlessly along roads, thickets or forests. Comparable with other weedy species, Paper Mulberry has armed the survival strategies as follows. First, it grows drastically fast. Usually, it can attain a mature size (3-4 m) within 2 years. Second, its pollens are dispersed by wind which guarantees a long-distance pollination. Third, the syncarps are fleshy and beloved by many birds and insects which are motivated vehicles to drive the seeds to everywhere. Coupled with its dramatic resilience to versatile environments (e.g. drought and barren soils) and climates (ranging from temperate to tropical climates), Paper Mulberry is rampantly naturalized and considered as an invasive species in many countries. |
| Application |
Paper Mulberry is widely planted for prolific economic values. First, its bark is useful for paper making. In Japan, the inner bark is the chief material of washi. The Chinese cotton paper is made of the barks of Edgeworthia chrysantha (Oriental paperbush), Wikstroemia sikokiana and Paper Mulberry. The bark fibre is stiff and can be processed into rope. The wood is light with appealing texture and highly demanded for making furniture. Other than paper making, the fruits are wholesome and contains profuse saponins and B vitamins, which are effective to enhance memory and attenuating dementia. |
| Growing habit | Evergreen tree. |
|---|---|
| Height | To 20 m tall. |
| Stems | Bark taupe, smooth, with longitudinal cracks. Branchlets densely pubescent. |
| Leaves | Petioles hairy. Stipules ovate. Simple leaves alternate. Blade thick chartaceous, largely variable, broad-ovate or oblong-ovate, base cordate and unequal, apex acuminate, margin serrulate or 3–5 lobed. |
| Flowers | Dioecious. Male catkins cylindrical. Female inflorescences head-like, globose, greenish, protruded styles. |
| Fruits | Syncarps, globose, composed of many achenes, fleshy, turning vermillion at maturity. |
| Flowering period | March to May in Hong Kong. |
| Fruiting period | April to August in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website :
https://herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=3039
Scientific names from other databases :
― Flora of China : Broussonetia papyrifera (Linnaeus) L’Héritier ex Ventenat
― Plants of the World Online : Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) L’Hér. ex Vent.