Morus celtidifolia

H. B. Kunth

Hackberry leaf mulberry, Brazilian amora

MoraceaeFruit
Morus celtidifolia
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Pepe Paulín, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Pepe Paulín
Morus celtidifolia
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Bob O'Kennon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Bob O'Kennon
Morus celtidifolia
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) ellen hildebrandt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by ellen hildebrandt

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

Fruit - raw or cooked. Insipid. The red to black fruits are 12mm or more long, comprised of a few to numerous, very juicy, small drupes.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. In Ecuador it grows between 2,000-2,500 m above sea level.

Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, Mexico*, North America, Peru, South America, USA,

Countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Paraguay, Suriname, El Salvador, Trinidad & Tobago, United States, Uruguay, St Vincent, Venezuela

How to Identify

A tree. It grows 10-20 m tall. The leaves are oval and have teeth along the edge. The flowers are on showy groups. The fruit is a cluster of small fleshy fruit. They are like a blackberry,

How to Grow

The inflorescence is usually dioecous, therefore both female and male forms of the plant need to be grown if fruit and seed are required. Occasional plants have both male and female flowers in the inflorescence.

Other Uses

The wood is heavy and is of dark orange or dark brown colour. It is suitable for small turnery and other articles. The wood is valued for building purposes in Ecuador.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

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 grows in canyons and on slopes, usually near streams, 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, but recent studies suggest that these names are synonymous with M. celtidifolia holding priority. 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 in the US (M. alba and M. rubra), the blade usually less than 7 centimetres (2+3⁄4 inches) long. The edible fruits are red, purple, or nearly black, 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.

Names & Synonyms

Amacapolcuahuitl, Mora, Moral, Morera

Morus albida GreeneMorus arbuscula GreeneMorus betulifolia GreeneMorus canina GreeneMorus confinis GreeneMorus corylifolia KunthMorus crataegifolia GreeneMorus goldmanii GreeneMorus grisea GreeneMorus mexicana Benth.Morus microphilyra GreeneMorus microphylla BuckleyMorus mollis RusbyMorus pandurata GreeneMorus radulina GreeneMorus vernonii GreeneMorus vitifolia Greene
References (15)
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