40-561: Morus alba , known as white mulberry , common mulberry and silkworm mulberry , is a fast-growing, small to medium-sized mulberry tree which grows to 10–20 m (33–66 ft) 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. The species is native to China and India and is widely cultivated and naturalized elsewhere (including United States, Mexico, Australia, Kyrgyzstan, Argentina, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and many others). The white mulberry
80-508: 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. White mulberry leaves are the preferred feedstock for silkworms, and are also cut for food for livestock (cattle, goats, etc.) in areas where dry seasons restrict
120-592: A genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae , consists of 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries , growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinate taxa, though the three most common are referred to as white, red, and black, originating from the color of their dormant buds and not necessarily the fruit color ( Morus alba , M. rubra , and M. nigra , respectively), with numerous cultivars and some taxa currently unchecked and awaiting taxonomic scrutiny. M. alba
160-462: A growing demand for natural food colorants, they have numerous applications in the food industry. A cheap and industrially feasible method has been developed to extract anthocyanins from mulberry fruit that could be used as a fabric dye or food colorant of high color value (above 100). Scientists found that, of 31 Chinese mulberry cultivars tested, the total anthocyanin yield varied from 148 to 2725mg/L of fruit juice. Sugars, acids, and vitamins of
200-691: 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 km 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. More recently, it has become widely naturalized in disturbed areas such as roadsides and
240-405: A stay at an asylum, and he considered it a technical success. Traditional Korean tea Soups & stews Banchan Tteok Korean tea is a beverage consisting of boiled water infused with leaves (such as the tea plant Camellia sinensis ), roots , flowers , fruits , grains , edible mushrooms , or seaweed . It may or may not contain tea leaves. According to
280-570: A toxic milky sap. Eating too many berries may have a laxative effect. Additionally, unripe green fruit may cause nausea, cramps, and a hallucinogenic effect. Raw mulberries are 88% water, 10% carbohydrates , 1% protein , and less than 1% fat . In a 100-gram (3.5-ounce) reference amount, raw mulberries provide 43 calories, 44% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C , and 14% of the DV for iron ; other micronutrients are insignificant in quantity. As
320-498: A year during the monsoon season to a height of 1.5–1.8 m (5–6 ft) and allowed to grow with a maximum of 8–10 shoots at the crown. The leaves are harvested three or four times a year by a leaf-picking method under rain-fed or semi-arid conditions, depending on the monsoon. The tree branches pruned during the fall season (after the leaves have fallen) are cut and are used to make durable baskets supporting agriculture and animal husbandry . Some North American cities have banned
360-643: Is a multiple , about 2–3 centimetres ( 3 ⁄ 4 – 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches) long. Immature fruits are white, green, or pale yellow. The fruit turns from pink to red while ripening, then dark purple or black, and has a sweet flavor when fully ripe. The taxonomy of Morus is complex and disputed. Fossils of Morus appear in the Pliocene record of the Netherlands . Over 150 species names have been published, and although differing sources may cite different selections of accepted names, less than 20 are accepted by
400-509: Is approximately 380 miles per hour (610 km/h), about half the speed of sound , making it the fastest known movement in the plant kingdom. Two varieties of Morus alba are recognized: 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
440-653: Is native to South Asia , but is widely distributed across Europe , Southern Africa , South America , and North America . M. alba is also the species most preferred by the silkworm , and is regarded as an invasive species in Brazil and the United States . The closely related genus Broussonetia is also commonly known as mulberry, notably the paper mulberry ( Broussonetia papyrifera ). Despite their similar appearance, mulberries are not closely related to raspberries or blackberries . All three species belong to
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#1733105886143480-428: Is often advised, as seedling-grown trees are generally of better shape and health. Mulberry trees grown from seed can take up to ten years to bear fruit. Mulberries are most often planted from large cuttings, which root readily. The mulberry plants allowed to grow tall have a crown height of 1.5 to 1.8 m (5 to 6 ft) from ground level and a stem girth of 10–13 cm (4–5 in). They are specially raised with
520-566: Is often translated as "etiquette for tea". Towards the end of the Joseon Dynasty, commoners adopted the practice of using tea for ancestral rites. The word charye ( 차례 ; 茶禮 , "tea rite"), cognate to darye , now refers to jesa (ancestral rite). In the past, the two terms were synonymous, as ancestral rites often involved offerings of tea to the ancestors. Wedding ceremonies also included tea offerings. The practice of packing tea into small cakes, which lost popularity in China during
560-670: Is the thinnest paper in the world. It is produced in Japan and made with kozo (stems of mulberry trees). Traditional Japanese washi paper is often created from parts of the mulberry tree. The wood of mulberry trees is used for barrel aging of Țuică , a traditional Romanian plum brandy. According to 1 Maccabees , the Seleucids used the "blood of grapes and mulberries" to provoke their war elephants in preparation for battle against Jewish rebels . A Babylonian etiological myth , which Ovid incorporated in his Metamorphoses , attributes
600-689: Is used as an ornamental plant. It was planted at several grand stations built along the Lackawanna Railroad in New Jersey during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The species is a lawn tree across the desert cities of the southwestern United States, prized for its shade and also for its cylindrical berry clusters composed of sweet, purplish-white fruits. The plant's pollen is problematic in some cities where it has been blamed for an increase in hay fever . [REDACTED] Data related to Morus alba at Wikispecies Morus (plant) See text. Morus ,
640-405: 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. On young, vigorous shoots, the leaves may be up to 30 cm (12 in) long, and deeply and intricately lobed, with the lobes rounded. On older trees,
680-528: The Goryeo Dynasty . Tea offering was a part of the biggest national ceremonies, such as Yeondeunghoe and Palgwanhoe , and tea towns were formed around temples. During the reign of King Myeongjong (1131‒1202), Seon -Buddhist manners of ceremony prevailed. Chŏng Mong-ju and other scholars enjoyed tea poetry, dasi ( 다시 ; 茶詩 ), and tea meetings, dahoe ( 다회 ; 茶會 ). The state of daseonilchi ( 다선일치 ; 茶禪一致 ; "tea and seon in accord")
720-729: The Record of Gaya , cited in the Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms , the legendary queen Heo Hwang-ok , a princess of the State of "Ayuta" (theorized to be Ayodhya , India), brought the Camellia sinensis (var. assamica ) tea plant from India to Korea and planted it on Baegwolsan, a mountain that borders the city of Changwon . In practice, however, Labrador tea and fruit teas, such as magnolia berry tea and goji berry tea , were more widely used in
760-688: The Rosales order. But while the mulberry is a tree belonging to the Moraceae family (also including the fig , jackfruit , and other fruits), raspberries and blackberries are brambles and belong to the Rosaceae family. Mulberries are fast-growing when young, and can grow to 24 metres (79 feet) tall. The leaves are alternately arranged, simple, and often lobed and serrated on the margin. Lobes are more common on juvenile shoots than on mature trees. The trees can be monoecious or dioecious . The mulberry fruit
800-644: The Samhan Era instead. It is a widely held belief that the systematic planting of tea bushes began with the introduction of tea culture by Buddhist monks some centuries later. Some of the earliest Buddhist temples in Korea, such as Bulgapsa , Bulhoesa , and Hwaeomsa , claim to be the birthplace of Korean tea culture. The import of Chinese tea products started during the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla (631‒647), when two types of tea bricks , jeoncha ( 전차 ; 磚茶 ) and dancha ( 단차 ; 團茶 ), were imported from
840-647: The Tang Empire . In 765, a Buddhist monk is said to have presented an offering of the tea to King Gyeongdeok and the Buddha . Camellia sinensis tea plants spread throughout the country in 828, when King Heungdeok received seeds from the Tang Empire and sent them to be planted on the Jirisan mountain. Tea was usually offered to the Buddha, as well as to the spirits of deceased ancestors. Tea culture continued to prosper during
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#1733105886143880-628: The 14th century, continued in Korea until the 19th century. In 1895, King Gojong of the Korean Empire used coffee for the first time. In 1896, grocery stores began to have tea rooms as annexes, and the first modern tea house was established in 1924. The Korean Tea Ceremony, called Darye, embodies Confucian principles of harmony, respect, and gratitude. It occurs in a traditional Korean house, with participants wearing hanbok attire. Darye involves tea preparation, serving, and presentation. The host serves tea to guests in order of importance, using
920-553: The East Asian white mulberry – a species extensively naturalized in urban regions of eastern North America – has a different flavor, sometimes characterized as refreshing and a little tart, with a bit of gumminess to it and a hint of vanilla . In North America, the white mulberry is considered an invasive exotic and has taken over extensive tracts from native plant species, including the red mulberry. Mulberries are used in pies, tarts, wines, cordials , and herbal teas . The fruit of
960-431: The availability of ground vegetation. The leaves are prepared as tea in Korea. The fruit are also eaten, often dried or made into wine. For landscaping, a fruitless mulberry was developed from a clone for use in the production of silk in the U.S. The industry never materialized, but the mulberry variety is now used as an ornamental tree where shade is desired without the fruit. White mulberry, Morus alba 'Pendula',
1000-466: The black mulberry (native to southwest Asia) and the red mulberry (native to eastern North America) have distinct flavors likened to 'fireworks in the mouth'. Jams and sherbets are often made from the fruit in the Old World . The tender twigs are semisweet and can be eaten raw or cooked. The fruit and leaves are sold in various forms as dietary supplements . Mulberry leaves, particularly those of
1040-736: The edges of tree lots, along with urban areas in much of North America, where it hybridizes readily with the locally native red mulberry (Morus rubra) . 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 4,000 metres (13,000 ft). They thrive in mildly acidic, well drained, sandy loam and clayey loam soils, though they can withstand poor soils as well. Tests on laboratory rats have not found mulberry extract to present significant toxicity. According to
1080-456: The fruit matures, mulberries change in texture and color, becoming succulent, plump, and juicy, resembling a blackberry . The color of the fruit does not distinguish the mulberry species, as mulberries may be white, lavender or black in color. White mulberry fruits are typically sweet, but not tart, while red mulberries are usually deep red, sweet, and juicy. Black mulberries are large and juicy, with balanced sweetness and tartness. The fruit of
1120-513: The fruit remained intact in the residual juice after removal of the anthocyanins, indicating that the juice may be used for other food products. Mulberry germplasm resources may be used for: During the Angkorian age of the Khmer Empire of Southeast Asia , monks at Buddhist temples made paper from the bark of mulberry trees. The paper was used to make books, known as kraing . Tengujo
1160-458: The help of well-grown saplings 8–10 months old of any of the varieties recommended for rainfed areas like S-13 (for red loamy soil) or S-34 (black cotton soil), which are tolerant to drought or soil-moisture stress conditions. Usually, the plantation is raised and in block formation with a spacing of 1.8 by 1.8 m (6 by 6 ft), or 2.4 by 2.4 m (8 by 8 ft), as plant-to-plant and row-to-row distances. The plants are usually pruned once
1200-510: The leaves are generally 5–15 cm (2.0–5.9 in) long, unlobed, cordate at the base and rounded to acuminate at the tip, and serrated on the margins. Generally, the trees are deciduous in temperate regions, but trees grown in tropical regions may be evergreen . The flowers are single-sex catkins ; male catkins are 2–3.5 cm (0.8–1.4 in) long, and female catkins 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) long. Male and female flowers are usually found on separate trees although they may occur on
1240-543: The mulberry for silkworms; at least as early as 220 AD, Emperor Elagabalus wore a silk robe. English clergy wore silk vestments from about 1500 onwards. Mulberry and the silk industry played a role in colonial Virginia . Mulberry fruit color derives from anthocyanins , which have unknown effects in humans. Anthocyanins are responsible for the attractive colors of fresh plant foods, including orange, red, purple, black, and blue. These colors are water-soluble and easily extractable, yielding natural food colorants . Due to
Morus alba - Misplaced Pages Continue
1280-571: The mulberry's colour to honour their forbidden love. The nursery rhyme " Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush " uses the tree in the refrain, as do some contemporary American versions of the nursery rhyme " Pop Goes the Weasel ". Vincent van Gogh featured the mulberry tree in some of his paintings, notably Mulberry Tree ( Mûrier , 1889, now in Pasadena 's Norton Simon Museum ). He painted it after
1320-679: The planting of mulberries because of the large amounts of pollen they produce, posing a potential health hazard for some pollen allergy sufferers. Actually, only the male mulberry trees produce pollen; this lightweight pollen can be inhaled deeply into the lungs, sometimes triggering asthma . Conversely, female mulberry trees produce all-female flowers, which draw pollen and dust from the air. Because of this pollen-absorbing feature, all-female mulberry trees have an OPALS allergy scale rating of just 1 (lowest level of allergy potential), and some consider it "allergy-free". Mulberry tree scion wood can easily be grafted onto other mulberry trees during
1360-407: The reddish-purple color of the mulberry fruits to the tragic deaths of the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe . Meeting under a mulberry tree (probably the native Morus nigra ), Thisbe commits suicide by sword after Pyramus does the same, he having believed, on finding her bloodstained cloak, that she was killed by a lion. Their splashed blood stained the previously white fruit, and the gods forever changed
1400-558: The same tree. The fruit is 1–1.5 cm (0.4–0.6 in) long. In the wild it is deep purple, but in many cultivated plants it varies from white to pink. It is sweet but bland, 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
1440-531: The vast majority of botanical authorities. Morus classification is even further complicated by widespread hybridisation , wherein the hybrids are fertile. The following species are accepted: Black, red, and white mulberries are widespread in Southern Europe , the Middle East , Northern Africa , and the Indian subcontinent , where the tree and the fruit have names under regional dialects . Black mulberry
1480-431: The white mulberry, are ecologically important as the sole food source of the silkworm ( Bombyx mori , named after the mulberry genus Morus ), the cocoon of which is used to make silk . The wild silk moth also eats mulberry. Other Lepidoptera larvae —which include the common emerald , lime hawk-moth , sycamore moth , and fall webworm —also eat the plant. The Ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated
1520-417: The winter, when the tree is dormant. One common scenario is converting a problematic male mulberry tree to an allergy-free female tree, by grafting all-female mulberry tree scions to a male mulberry that has been pruned back to the trunk. However, any new growth from below the graft(s) must be removed, as they would be from the original male mulberry tree. All parts of the plant besides the ripe fruit contain
1560-566: Was eulogized. Xu Jing, a Song dynasty envoy who visited Goryeo in 1123, wrote in the Gaoli tujing that the people of Goryeo were avid tea drinkers and set out tea three times a day. Coins were accepted at tea and wine shops (茶酒店). During the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), Korean tea culture underwent secularization. The royal family and aristocracy used tea for simple rites, a practice referred to as darye ( 다례 ; 茶禮 , "tea rite"), which
1600-644: Was imported to Britain in the 17th century in the hopes that it would be useful in the cultivation of silkworms. It was much used in folk medicine , especially in the treatment of ringworms . Mulberries are also widespread in Greece , particularly in the Peloponnese , which in the Middle Ages was known as Morea , deriving from the Greek word for the tree ( μουριά , mouria ). Mulberries can be grown from seed, and this
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