Morus nigra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morus_nigra

Morus nigra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Morus nigra, called black mulberry[1] or blackberry (not to be

confused with the blackberries which are various species of
Rubus),[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae,
native to southwestern Asia, where it has been cultivated for so long
that its precise natural range is unknown.[3] It is known for its large
number of chromosomes, as it has 154 pairs (308 individuals). Other
mulberry species are sometimes confused with black mulberry,
particularly black-fruited individuals of the white mulberry, but black
mulberry can be distinguished by the uniformly hairy lower leaf
surface.[4]

Morus nigra

Contents
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3
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Description
Cultivation and uses
Gallery
References
Plate from book: Flora of Germany,

Description

Austria and Switzerland (1885)

Scientific classification
Morus nigra is a deciduous tree growing to 12 m (39 ft) tall by 15 m
(49 ft) broad. The leaves are 1020 cm (48 in) long by 610 cm
(24 in) broad - up to 23 cm (9 in) long on vigorous shoots, downy
on the underside, the upper surface rough with very short, stiff hairs.

Kingdom:

Plantae

(unranked):

Angiosperms

(unranked):

Eudicots

The edible fruit is dark purple, almost black, when ripe, 23

centimetres (0.81.2 in) long, a compound cluster of several small
drupes; it is richly flavoured, similar to the red mulberry (Morus
rubra) but unlike the more insipid fruit of the white mulberry (Morus
alba).

(unranked):

Rosids

Order:

Rosales

Family:

Moraceae

Tribe:

Moreae

Cultivation and uses

Genus:

Morus

Species:

M. nigra

Black mulberry has long been cultivated for its edible fruit and is
planted and often naturalised west across much of Europe, including
Ukraine, and east into China.

Binomial name
Morus nigra
L.

Black (Morus nigra) mulberries are thought to have originated in the

mountainous areas of Mesopotamia and Persia and are
now widespread throughout Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran,
Mulberries, raw
India, Pakistan, Syria, and Turkey, where the tree and
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
the fruit are known by the Persian-derived names toot
(mulberry) of shahtoot (( ) king's or "superior"
180 kJ (43 kcal)
Energy
mulberry), or, in Arabic, shajarat tukki. Jams and
9.8 g
Carbohydrates
sherbets are often made from the fruit in this region.

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Morus nigra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morus_nigra

The black mulberry was imported into Britain in the

17th century in the hope that it would be useful in the
cultivation of silkworms (Bombyx mori). It was
unsuccessful because silkworms prefer the white
mulberry but has left a legacy of large and old trees in
many country house gardens.
The largest documented local concentration of black
mulberries in Europe (470 trees) can be found in the
vineyards of Pukanec in Slovakia.[5]

Gallery

Sugars
Dietary fiber

8.1
1.7 g

Fat

0.39 g

Protein

1.44 g

Vitamins
Thiamine (B1)

0.029 mg

(3%)

Riboflavin (B2)

0.101 mg

(8%)

Niacin (B3)

0.62 mg

(4%)

Vitamin B6

0.05 mg

(4%)

Folate (B9)

6 g
12.3 mg
36.4 mg

(2%)
(3%)
(44%)

39 mg
1.85 mg
18 mg
38 mg
194 mg
10 mg
0.12 mg

(4%)
(14%)
(5%)
(5%)
(4%)
(1%)
(1%)

Choline
Vitamin C
Minerals

Leaf of Morus nigra

Ripe fruit and foliage

of Morus nigra.

Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
Zinc

Link to USDA Database entry (http://ndb.nal.usda.gov

/ndb/search/list?qlookup=09190&format=Full)
Units
g = micrograms mg = milligrams
IU = International units
Percentages are roughly approximated using
US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database (http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list)

A centuries-old tree of
Morus nigra.

Female flowers of
Morus nigra

An old black mulberry

tree in spring.

Unripe shahtoot (Iran)

Full-grown shahtoot

References

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Morus nigra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morus_nigra

1. "USDA GRIN Taxonomy".

2. "Definition And Classification Of Commodities (Draft) 8. Fruits And Derived Products". Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
3. RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136.
ISBN 1405332964.
4. Nelson, G.; Earle, C.J.; Spellenberg, R.; More, D.; Hughes, A.K. (2014). Trees of Eastern North America.
Princeton University Press. p. 408. ISBN 9781400852994.
5. Kristbergsson, K.; tles, S. (2016). Functional Properties of Traditional Foods. Springer. p. 211.
ISBN 9781489976628.

Flora of China: Morus nigra (http://www.efloras.org

/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=220008839)
Data related to Morus nigra at Wikispecies

Wikimedia Commons has

media related to Black
Mulberry.

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Categories: Morus (plant) Plants described in 1753 Trees of Western Asia
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