Шовковиця

The tree

Morus alba, known as white mulberry, common mulberry and silkworm mulberry, is a fast-growing, small to medium-sized tree. It grows to 10-20 m tall and is native to China, and it is widely cultivated and naturalized elsewhere. The trees are generally deciduous in temperate regions, while trees grown in tropical regions may be evergreen.

Morus is a genus in the family Moraceae with 17 species of deciduous trees. Its three most common members are called white, red and black after the colour of their dormant buds, which is not necessarily the colour of the fruit.

Silkworm food

Mulberry leaves, particularly those of the white mulberry, are the sole food source of the silkworm, whose cocoon is used to make silk. Producing 1 kg of raw silk takes over 100 kg of mulberry leaves.

Fruit and colour

The immature fruit is white, green or pale yellow. It turns from pink to red while ripening, then dark purple or black. The colour of the fruit derives from anthocyanins, which are water-soluble and easily extractable. Of 31 Chinese mulberry cultivars tested, the total anthocyanin yield ranged from 148 to 2725 mg/L of fruit juice. Mulberries are used in pies, tarts, wines, cordials and herbal teas.

Leaf volatiles

Mulberry leaves damaged by feeding silkworms emit a blend of volatile compounds, including the green leaf volatiles (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol and (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate, as well as linalool. The secretions that silkworms leave from their spinnerets while feeding suppress the release of these green leaf volatiles. Silkworm larvae are attracted to the mulberry odorant cis-jasmone.

Other uses

White mulberry is also cut to feed livestock. Its fruit is typically sweet, but not tart. The bark is rich in fiber, which makes it well suited for producing rayon and paper. In India, mulberry wood is used to make sports equipment, furniture, household utensils and agricultural implements. Mulberry wood is also used for barrel aging of Țuică, a traditional Romanian plum brandy.

—

Related: Alder · Alpha Humulene · Amaranth · Amberever · Amburana Bark · Antillone · Apple Tree