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Moraceae (fig, mulberry family)

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) >  Eudicotyledons >  Core Eudicots >  Rosids >  Eurosid I > Order: Rosales

About 1200 species in about 50 genera, distributed worldwide, with 29 indigenous species in 4 genera in southern Africa.

Genera native or naturalised (*) in southern Africa

List from Jordaan (2000).

Ficus (figs)

About 750 species worldwide, with about 500 of them occurring in Asia and Australia. In Africa and Madagascar there are about 105 species, 34 of which are indigenous to southern Africa.

 

Maclura

The 11 species occur widely in the tropics, with 1 species in Africa, Maclura africana, which extends from Kenya down to South Africa (Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal), and which is also found in Madagascar.

 

Morus (mulberry)

About 13 species, native to temperate and subtropical regions of the Old and New World, with 1 species, Morus mesozygia, native to southern Africa. In addition, Morus alba (White Mulberry) and Morus japonica occur as escapes from cultivation. The usual mulberry growing in people's gardens is Morus nigra (Common or Black Mulberry).

Morus nigra (Common or Black mulberry)

Trilepisium

One species [name?], which occurs widely in tropical and subtropical Africa.

 

Other genera, cultivated in southern Africa

List from Glen (2002). The species name is provided in genera that have only one species represented in southern Africa.

Milicia excelsa (Iroko, Mvule)

Indigenous to tropical Africa.

 

Chlorophora tinctoria (Fustic, Insira)

Indigenous from Brazil to Mexico and the West Indies.

 

Brousonnetia papyrifera (Paper mulberry)

Indigenous from China to Polynesia.

 

Streblus asper

Indigenous from Sri Lanka to the Phillipines.

 

Dorstenia

Two species cultivated in southern Africa.

 

Treculia africana (African breadfruit)

Indigenous to tropical Africa and Madagascar.

 

Artocarpus

Artocarpus altilis (Breadfruit - indigenous to Indonesia and New Guinea) and Artocarpus heterophyllus (Jackfruit - indigenous to India) are cultivated in southern Africa.

 

Musanga cecropioides (Umbrella tree)

Indigenous to tropical Africa.

 

Cecropia

Two species cultivated in southern Africa.

 

Cannabis (hemp, dagga) and Humulus (hops) were once included under Moraceae but are now placed in the family Cannabaceae.

Publications

  • Jordaan, M. 2000. Moraceae. In: Seed Plants of Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 415-416. . National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

  • Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated Plants of Southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.

 

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