Scientific Name
Morus alba L.
Synonyms
Morus atropurpurea Roxb., Morus chinensis Lodd. ex Loudon, Morus intermedia Perr., Morus latifolia Poir., Morus multicaulis (Perr.) Perr. [1]
Vernacular Name
| Malaysia | Tut, bebesaran, besaram, kayu besar [2] |
| English | White mulberry [2][3], Mongolia mulberry, mulberry, silkworm mulberry, white-fruited mulberry, white mulberry tree [4] |
| China | Chi sang, lu sang, pai sang, sanh, sang bai pi, sang seng, sang ye [4] |
| India | Bau khamba, hippu naerale, kambilipuch, poochi chedi, pattunulppuluccetti, shahtoot, reshmicettu, thingtheihmu, tutri, uppunute [4] |
| Indonesia | Murbei (General); besaran (Javanese) [3]; besaran, lempaung [4] |
| Thailand | Mon [2] |
| Philippines | Amoras (Filipino); amingit (lgorot); mora (Ibanag) [2]; balbali [4] |
| Cambodia | Mon [3] |
| Myanmar | Labri; mawon; ngap-set-ting; posa [4] |
| Vietnam | D[aajlu t[aaf]m, tang [3] |
| Nepal | Kumu, kimbu kaphal [4] |
| Japan | Kuwa, yama-guwa (mountain Morus) [4] |
| South Africa | Moerbei [4] |
| Tanzania | Mlobe [4] |
| France | Murier blanc [3] |
| Spain | Moral blanco, morera blanca [3] |
| Hawaii | Kilika [4]. |
Geographical Distributions
Morus alba is native to China, now widely cultivated in temperate and tropical regions. It is occasionally naturalised in Malesia such as in the Philippines (Batan Island and Cagayan Province) where it was introduced in 1780. [3]
Botanical Description
M. alba is a member of the Moracea family. It is a small to medium-sized tree that can reach up to 15(-20) m tall. [3]
Its bole is up to 70 cm in diametre. The bark surface is dark grey-brown and with horizontal lenticels. [3]
The leaves are ovate to broadly ovate, measuring 5-16 cm x 4-12 cm, rounded to shallowly cordate at the base, acute to acuminate at apex, pubescent on the main veins and with slender petiole 1-3.5 cm long. The male spikes are 1-1.5(-2) cm long while the female spikes are 0.5-1.3 cm long and ovoid. [3]
The syncarp is ovoid and measures 1.5-2.5 cm long. [3]
Cultivation
M. alba can be cultivated at 0-3500 m altitude, but in the humid tropics, it does not produce good fruit when planted at sea level. [3]
Chemical Constituent
No documentation
Plant Part Used
No documentation
Traditional Use
No documentation
Preclinical Data
No documentation
Clinical Data
No documentation
Poisonous Management
No documentation
Line Drawing
References
- The Plant List. Ver 1.1 Morus alba L. [homepage on the Internet]. c2013 [update 2012 Apr 18; cited on 2015 Jul 27]. Available from: http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2501381
- Herbal Medicine Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research. Compendium of medicinal plants used in Malaysia. Volume 2. Kuala Lumpur: HMRC IMR; 2002. p.152.
- Alonzo DS. Morus alba L. In: de Padua LS, Bunyapraphatsara N, Lemmens RHMJ, editors. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 12(1): Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. Leiden, Netherlands: Backhuys Publisher, 1999; p. 362-363
- Quattrocchi U. CRC world dictionary of medicinal and poisonous plants: Common names, scientific names, eponyms, synonyms, and etymology. Volume IV M-Q. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press; 2012. p.200-201.
