Morus celtidifolia
Species of flowering plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Morus celtidifolia, the Texas mulberry, is a plant species native to South America, Central America, Mexico, and the southwestern United States, ranging from Argentina north as far as Arizona and Oklahoma. In the US it can be found in central and west Texas, southwestern Oklahoma, and the southern half of New Mexico and Arizona; it grows in canyons and on slopes, usually near streams,[6] from 200–2,200 metres (660–7,220 feet) in elevation. It is very often referred to as "Morus microphylla," including in Flora of North America,[7] but recent studies suggest that these names are synonymous with M. celtidifolia holding priority.[3][4][8][9][10][11]
| Morus celtidifolia | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Moraceae |
| Genus: | Morus |
| Species: | M. celtidifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Morus celtidifolia | |
| Synonyms[3][4] | |
| |
Morus celtidifolia is a shrub or tree, sometimes reaching 7.5 m (25 ft) in height. It has much smaller leaves than the other two species native to the US (M. alba and M. rubra), the blade usually less than 7 centimetres (2+3⁄4 inches) long; the leaves are dark green on top, paler and hairy on the bottom.[6]. It is dioecious (that is, each plant has only male or only female flowers), with clusters of tiny flowers appearing in spring along with the leaves.[6] The edible fruits[6] are red, purple, or nearly black,[2][5][12][13] about 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) long,[6] and are consumed by wildlife, and, historically, by Native Americans. In ancient (probably prehistoric) times, the Havasupai people introduced the species to the Grand Canyon.[14]