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White Mulberry
Morus alba
マグワ
A deciduous tall tree native to China, introduced to Japan long ago as feed for silkworms. The sweet-sour, dark purple multiple fruits are edible and widely known as mulberries.
Identification Points
- ✓Leaves are ovate to irregularly lobed; leaf shape varies greatly even on the same tree
- ✓Edible dark purple multiple fruits (mulberries)
- ✓Dioecious or monoecious; wind-pollinated with catkin-like inflorescences
Habitat
Farmland, rural areas, roadsides, and secondary forests
Season
April–May (flowers); June–July (fruit)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf dissection
Dissected
Leaf shape
Ovate
Growth form
Tree
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Petal fusion
No petals
Habitat
Cultivated
Stipules
Present
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Latex
Present
Stamen count
1-2
Phylogenetic Positionクワ科 →
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core eudicots > Rosids > Rosales > Moraceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous to Paleogene (approx. 80–70 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
Moraceae is a large family that includes the fig genus (Ficus), characterized by the presence of latex. The coevolution of figs and fig wasps is a textbook example in biology.
View on evolution timeline →Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification