1728

2: Edible fruits and nuts

Morus nigra L.

MORACEAE

Black mulberry (En). Mûrier noire (Fr). Indonesia: murbei (Bahassa Indonesia), besaran (Javanese), kitan (Lampung). Cambodia: moon. Vietnam: dâu tam.

Originates from Iran. Cultivated all over the world, in the tropics at higher elevations only. Only occasionally cultivated in South-East Asia. Of most importance in the Mediterranean.

The fruit is eaten raw or prepared into juice, wine, jam, etc. Occasionally it is an ingredient in cough syrup. In India also used as dye. The leaves are fed to silkworms.

Slow-growing dioecious tree, up to 10 m tall, with spreading crown, picturesque when old. Fruit a syncarp, oblongoid, 2—2.5 cm long, dark purple to black.

[4]Bailey, L.H., 1947. The standard cyclopedia of horticulture in three volumes. The Macmillan Company, New York. 3639 pp.
[51]Mansfeld, R. & Schultze-Motel, J., 1986. Verzeichnis landwirtschaftlicher und gärtnerischer Kuturpflanzen. 2nd ed. 4 Volumes. Springer Verlag, Berlin. 1998 pp.

P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen

Jansen, P.C.M., Jukema, J., Oyen, L.P.A. & van Lingen, T.G., 1991. Morus nigra L.. In: Verheij, E.W.M. and Coronel, R.E. (Editors): Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 2: Edible fruits and nuts. PROSEA Foundation, Bogor, Indonesia. Database record: prota4u.org/prosea