Scientific Name : Morus alba L.
Common Name : White Mulberry
Chinese Name : 桑, 桑樹
Family : MORACEAE
Local distribution status : Native species
| Origins | Widely distributed throughout China. |
|---|---|
| History of the White Mulberry | As we all know the term “Sericulture and Mulberry Harvest (養蠶採桑)”, leaves of the White Mulberry can be used to raise silkworms that spin cocoons, the fibers of which can be processed to produce silk and clothing. Cultivation of the White Mulberry has a long history in China that can be traced back to the Yellow Emperor (also known as Huangdi). According to legend, the official wife of Huangdi who called Leizu taught the people how to grow the White Mulberry and raise silkworms, and was thus honored with the title “Xiancan (先蠶)” (means the First Sericulturist) by later generations. Since the Zhou Dynasty, a tradition known as the “Sericulture Ceremony (親蠶禮)” was performed, where the empress led concubines and noblewomen to pick mulberry leaves, fed to silkworms, and worship Leizu. This ritual was passed down to the Qing Dynasty, in which the Empresses also performed a session entitled as “ Gongsang (躬桑)” (means picking Mulberry leaves in person). Ancient society relied heavily on primary industry, attach importance to agriculture and cultivation of mulberry, which made the term “Mulberry (桑)” having the same regard as agriculture. The aforementioned affirm the important and irreplaceable position of the White Mulberry held in the ancient time. |
| Applications | The White Mulberry has a wide range of usage, which led to the term “all of its body are treasures”. In addition to sericulture, the White Mulberry also has applications in Traditional Chinese Medicine. “Sangye (桑葉)", "Sangzhi (桑枝)", "Sangshen (桑椹)" and "Sangbaipi (桑白皮)" are the leaves, twigs, fruits and velamen (root sheath) of the White Mulberry respectively, with the functions of dispelling wind-heat, expelling rheumatism, nourishing body fluids, as well as inducing diuresis to alleviate edema respectively. Furthermore, its fruit is edible, which can be made into wine or jam, and its seeds can be extracted for oil. Meanwhile, the stem coat is the raw material of textiles and paper. Its wood can be processed into furniture, instruments and utensils, while the plant itself is used as street trees and ornamental plants. |
| Growing habit | Deciduous shrub or tree. |
|---|---|
| Height | To 10 m. |
| Stems | Bark of trunk grey, coarse, irregularly and shallowly furrowed. Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) of main trunk to 50 cm. |
| Leaves | Ovate to broadly ovate, papery, alternate. Apex acute, acuminate or obtuse. Base rounded to slightly cordate, often slightly oblique. Margin coarsely serrate. Leaf blades sometimes irregularly lobed. Basal veins 3 to 5. Bright green and glossy adaxially. |
| Flowers | Unisexual, axillary. Male inflorescences drooping, densely white villose. Female inflorescence shaped as a short spike. Male perianth lobes pale green, broadly elliptic. |
| Fruits | Multiple fruit (Syncarps) axillary, ovoid-ellipsoid, ovoid to cylindrical, formed by many achenes, peduncled. Persistent perianth fleshy and juicy. Red to blackish purple when mature, sometimes white. |
| Seeds | Subglobose. |
| Flowering period | February to August in Hong Kong. |
| Fruiting period | February to August in Hong Kong. |
Scientific name above is based on Hong Kong Herbarium website : https://www.herbarium.gov.hk/en/hk-plant-database/plant-detail/index.html?pType=species&oID=3487
Scientific names from other databases
― Flora of China : Morus alba Linnaeus
― Plants of the World Online : Morus alba L.