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 38 genera and 1100 species, distributed worldwide, with four genera and 33 species native to southern Africa, two species that are naturalised and a further nine genera and 14 species that are cultivated in the region.

Genera native to southern Africa

List from Jordaan (2000).

Ficus (figs) About 755 species distributed wordwide, with 30 species native to southern Africa and an additional 31 species that are cultivated in the region.
Maclura The 11 species occur widely in the tropics, with one species native to 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 15 species, native to temperate and subtropical regions of the Old and New World, with one species, Morus mesozygia, native to southern Africa, two species that are naturalised and two further species that are cultivated in the region. The usual mulberry growing in people's gardens is Morus nigra (Common or Black Mulberry).
Trilepisium One species Trilepisium madagascariense , which is native to 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.

Artocarpus Artocarpus altilis (Breadfruit - indigenous to Indonesia and New Guinea) and Artocarpus heterophyllus (Jackfruit - indigenous to India) are cultivated in southern Africa.
Brousonnetia papyrifera (Paper mulberry) Native from China to Polynesia.
Cecropia Two species cultivated in southern Africa: Cecropia palmata (native to Brazil and Peru), and Cecropia peltata (Trumpet tree) (native from Mexico to Venezuela).
Chlorophora tinctoria (Fustic, Insira) Native from Brazil to Mexico and the West Indies.
Dorstenia Two species cultivated in southern Africa: Dorstenia contrajerva (native to Central America, West Indies and Peru) and Dorstenia hildebrandtii (native to eastern tropical Africa).
Milicia excelsa (Iroko, Mvule) Native to tropical Africa.
Musanga cecropioides (Umbrella tree) Native to tropical Africa.
Streblus asper Native from Sri Lanka to the Philippines.
Treculia africana (African breadfruit) Native to tropical Africa and Madagascar.

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.