The genus Morus, as treated here, comprises 19 species of which 5 are included in this database. It has been proposed (Zeng Q et al, (2015) Definition of Eight Mulberry Species in the Genus Morus by Internal Transcribed SpacerBased Phylogeny. PLoS ONE 10(8): e0135411.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0135411) that there are only eight distinct species in this genus. If this treatment is accepted then this species will still be considered distinct.

Common Name:

General Information

Morus mesozygia can be a shrub growing up to 6 metres tall, or a tree with a very leafy, umbrella-shaped crown which can grow from 10 - 40 metres tall with a crown spread of 25 metres. The plant is usually deciduous, but is occasionally evergreen. The straight bole can be unbranched for up to 20 metres and 30 - 70cm in diameter[, ].
A multi-purpose tree, it provides food, medicines and various commodities for the local population as well as a valuable wood that is exported. It is commonly harvested from the wild and is also widely planted as a wayside tree, shade and palaver tree, and as a boundary marker around farms and fields[]. It has excellent potential as a pioneer species for restoring native woodland and establishing woodland gardens[].

Known Hazards

Sawdust from the wood may cause dermatitis and irritation to the nose and throat[].

Botanical References

Range

Tropical Africa - Senegal to Sudan and Ethiopia, south to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland.

Habitat

Rain-forest, forests of drier regions; semi-deciduous forests, gallery, forests bordering savannahs; often along streams or lakes; also in secondary forests or as solitary trees after clearing; coastal evergreen forests; elevations up to 1,650 metres[]

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	30.00 m
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	No

Cultivation Details

Requires a well-drained soil[].
Growth is usually fast: a height increment of almost 2 metres in the first year has been recorded in unshaded nursery beds[].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[].

Edible Uses

The infructescense is edible and tastes like white grapes[]. The infructescence is up to 1cm in diameter[].

Medicinal

In African traditional medicine all plant parts are used in decoctions, baths, massages and enemas as treatments against conditions such as rheumatism, lumbago, intercostal pain, neuralgia, colic, stiffness, debility, diarrhoea and dysentery[].

The root is used as an aphrodisiac[].

Sap from young shoots is dropped into the nose for the treatment of syphilis[].

The heartwood contains the flavonoids morin, dihydromorin and pinobanksin, the leaves a glycoside of morin. Resistance of the wood to the woodrot fungi Coriolus versicolor, Lentinus squarrosul us and Poria species is related to the presence of dihydromorin[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Planted as a shade tree in coffee, cocoa and banana plantations[].
A pioneer species in the wild, germinating in open, sunny places and helping to restore conditions suitable for mature primary forest[]. Under natural conditions, seedlings are most common in very exposed sites, such as large forest gaps with substantial soil erosion[]. Because it is also fast-growing and is a popular, multi-purpose tree, it really sounds a very good species for restoring native woodland and also for establishing woodland gardens[].

Other Uses

The fibrous bark has been made into cloth and sandals[].

The latex has been used as a rubber adulterant[].

The heartwood is yellow when freshly cut, darkening to brown on exposure; it is distinctly demarcated from the 5 - 10cm wide band of grey to white sapwood. The texture is fine to medium; the grain is straight to interlocked with a mottled or ribbon-like figure; lustre is moderate. The wood is moderately heavy to heavy; strong; hard to very hard but somewhat brittle. There are conflicting reports on durability, it is normally said to be very durable, but there are also reports that it is vulnerable to attacks by fungi, pinhole borers, marine borers, longhorn borers and termites. The air drying characteristics are satisfactory, once dry, the wood is stable in service. It works moderately easily with most hand and machine tools, but with some blunting of cutting edges; it saws well, but stellite-tipped sawteeth are recommended; in planing interlocked grain may cause trouble, and quartersawn surfaces should be planed at a reduced angle (15°) to avoid picking up; preboring is recommended for nailing; the nail and screw holding properties are good; it glues well and takes a good finish. Slicing properties are good, but peeling properties poor. The wood is especially suitable for sliced veneer, high-class furniture, flooring, staircases, joinery and turnery, but also for interior trim, sporting goods, agricultural implements, toys, novelties, carvings, boxes, crates, vats, posts, poles, piles, mine props and shingles. In Ghana it is used for construction, furniture, joinery, mortars and pestles. In DR Congo it is traditionally used for dug-out canoes. Stems from coppiced trees are used as walking sticks, ramrods for guns and palisades[, ].
The wood is used as fuelwood and for charcoal making[].

Propagation

Seed - best results come from sowing freshly harvested seed[]. Pre-treatment is not necessary, but germination is accelerated by soaking the seeds in water for 12 hours. Sow in a sunny position in a nursery seedbed or in individual containers. Germination starts 5 - 12 days after sowing[].
Cuttings.

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: a square has how many sides?