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{{SPlantbox
|common_name=White Mulberry
|Min ht metric=cm
|Temp Metric=°F
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{{Inc|
Morus alba, Linn. White Mulberry. Figs. 2398, 2399 B. Lvs. light green, rather small, smooth or very nearly so above and often shining, the veins prominent beneath and whitish, variously lobed or divided, the basal lobes unequal, the teeth large and for the most part rounded or nearly obtuse, the branches gray or grayish yellow: fr. variable, usually narrow, 1-2 in. long white or violet, very sweet. China.— Morus alba has been cult.from the earliest times, chiefly for feeding the silk-worm. It is a frequent tree along roadsides and in the old yards in the eastern states, where the trunk sometimes attains a diam. of 2 ft. This half-wild form usually has rather small rounded shining lvs. with very large rounded teeth, and bears small whitish or violet frs. which are very sweet. Sometimes the frs. are an inch long, but they are oftener only half that length, and one sometimes finds trees on which the frs. are barely ¼ in. long. Now and then a tree bears fr. nearly or quite black. Birds, poultry and hogs are fond of these mulberries. The trees are usually very thick- topped and bushy growers, but sometimes one is seen which, when young, has branches as straight and trim as a Northern Spy apple. These half-wild trees are seedlings, and this accounts for their variability. Var. pendula, Dipp. Branches slender, drooping. Var. pyramidalis, Ser. (var fastigiata, Schelle). Tree of pyramidal form: lvs. acute, usually lobed. Var. laciniata, Beissn. (var. skeletoniana, Schneid.) Skeleton-leaved Mulberry. Lvs. regularly and deeply divided into narrow lobes, the terminal lobe and usually two of the lateral ones with very long points: a distinct and graceful form.
Var. tatarica, Loudon (M. tatarica, Linn.). Russian Mulberry. Fig. 2400. A hardy type of M. alba which was intro. into our western states in 1875-77 by the Russian Mennonites. It differs little from the type of M. alba in botanical characters. As commonly seen, it is a low-growing very bushy-topped small tree with small and much-lobed lvs. The fr. Is usually very small and insipid, and varies from creamy white to violet, and almost black.
Var. venosa, Del. (var. nervosa, Lodd. Var. fibrosa. Ser. M. urticaefolia, Hort.). Fig. 2397. Lvs. contracted and jagged, and very strongly marked with many white veins. It bears fr. ½ in. long. Among the horticultural curiosities this tree should find a place, although it is not grown by our nurserymen. Its ornamental value is considerable, especially when striking effects are desired. Rare in Amer. The history of this mulberry is obscure. Delile described it in a French report as long ago as 1826; of horticultural origin.
The variations of this species allow of many Latin names to be applied. The following names, which one may find in horticultural literature, are referable to M. alba: byzantina, cedrona(?), colombassa, constantinopolitana, Fegyvernekiana, globosa, intermedia, italica, laciniata (of some), lucida, membranacea, macrophylla, Morettii, Morettiana, romana, rosea.
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__NOTOC__{{Plantbox
__NOTOC__{{Plantbox
| name = ''Morus alba''
| name = ''Morus alba''