Moraceae

Taxonomy

Family Name: Moraceae Gaudichaud-Beaupré

Synonym(s): Artocarpaceae Bercht. & J. Presl; Ficaceae Bercht. & J. Presl

Common Name(s): mulberry family

*Number of genera/species: 38/1,180

List of genera records in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

infructescence, fruit, endocarp

Description

Infructescenceinfructescence:
mature (fruiting) inflorescence
 a fleshy receptacle enclosing a drupe(s) or achenesachene:
a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point, derived from a single, superior, simple or compound, one-loculed ovary
and enveloped within a persistent, fleshy perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
, and sometimes with hardened or fleshy bracts. Infructescence globose, hemisphericalhemispherical:
2D shape—shaped like half a sphere
, ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
, pear-shaped, ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, oblongoblong:
2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded
, or 3-angled, usually 5–200 mm, to 1000 mm in Artocarpus, sometimes crowned by remnants of stamens or staminate flowers. Outer surface gray, black, purple, green, brown, yellow, orange, red, or white, fleshy, sometimes indurateindurate:
texture—hardened or stony; yielding under strong pressure; not deformable without internal structural disruption
, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
or pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
, smooth, ribbedribbed:
surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
, ridgedridged:
surface relief—raised, thick ridges, sharp edged or rounded, usually in a series that may cover the entire surface
, muricatemuricate:
surface relief—rough with small, hard, sharp projections
, wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
, wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
, or with irregularly shaped protuberances, sometimes covered by indurateindurate:
texture—hardened or stony; yielding under strong pressure; not deformable without internal structural disruption
tips of floral bracts appearing echinate. In some genera, deciphering between perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
, bracts, and axialaxial:
(of embryo) embryo is situated along the longitudinal axis of the seed and may partially or completely fill the seed
tissue (e.g. Artocarpus, Paratocarpus) is difficult. Milky sap often present.

Fruit usually a drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds
, indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
or dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
, free or adnate to fleshy, persistent perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
. Fruits free or connate to each other, enclosed or not in receptacle and/or floral bracts to form a unit syncarpsyncarp:
fruit derived from fusion of numerous ovaries in a many-flowered inflorescence
) syconium), sometimes achenesachene:
a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point, derived from a single, superior, simple or compound, one-loculed ovary
within a syconium (Fatoua, neotropical Ficus spp.). Fruits usually 2–30 mm, rarely to 60 mm, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, lens-shapedlens-shaped:
2D shape—round and flattened with two curved (convex) surfaces
, ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
, ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, or reniformreniform:
2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped
, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
in transection, with 2 persistent stylesstyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
, with one seed. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
brown, yellow, red, or white, rarely blue, dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, usually fleshy, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
, smooth or wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
or wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
.

DrupesDrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds
free of perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
are dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
with exocarpexocarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with epicarp
splitting open to expose or eject endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
. Exocarpexocarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with epicarp
fleshy, crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
or membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
. Endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
is usually shaped like the drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds
, sometimes tetrahedral, usually crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
, sometimes woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
, smooth or tuberculatetuberculate:
surface relief—bearing small, warty, swelling, rounded, or variously shaped projections
.

Seeds globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, oblongoblong:
2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded
, or lens-shapedlens-shaped:
2D shape—round and flattened with two curved (convex) surfaces
, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
in transection, 1.5–20 mm long. Seed coat brown, yellow, or red, thin and fleshy, crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
, or membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
or hard, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
, smooth or wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
, minutely striated or pittedpitted:
surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net
, papillosepapillate:
surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex
, wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
, or with conspicuous venation, especially near hilahilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer fruit surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the outer fruit wall revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle
. Hila larger than punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
, often marginalmarginal:
at, on, or close to the margin or border
and peltate.

Embryo well-developed, completely to nearly filling seed cavity, axileaxile:
on or of the axis
and centric, foliatefoliate:
appearing leaf-like
, straight or curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
, sometimes green, cotyledons usually thick and equal or unequal.

Endosperm absent in large seeds, present, fleshy in small seeds.

Identification features

Fruit
Type	usually drupedrupe: (indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds , rarely acheneachene: a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point, derived from a single, superior, simple or compound, one-loculed ovary
Size range	2–30 mm, rarely to 60 mm long
Shape(s)	globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , lens-shapedlens-shaped: 2D shape—round and flattened with two curved (convex) surfaces , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , reniformreniform: 2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped
Texture	fleshy
Surface relief	smooth, wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out , wartywarty: surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
Color(s)	brown, yellow, red, white, rarely blue
Unique features	Usually one-seeded, drupaceous fruits (fleshy portion derived from adnate persistent, fleshy perianthperianth: collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower ), which disperse individually or together (infructescenceinfructescence: mature (fruiting) inflorescence ). InfructescencesInfructescence: mature (fruiting) inflorescence usually globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical or hemisphericalhemispherical: 2D shape—shaped like half a sphere , green, yellow, or orange, fleshy, and appear groovedgrooved: surface relief—linear depressions that may be single or form a series of grooves over the surface , wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out , or with protuberances (wartywarty: surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose or spinyspiny: having slender, stiff, sharp projections oriented in the general plane of the structure ). If drupesdrupe: (indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds free from fleshy perianthperianth: collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower , then dehiscentdehiscent: (v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit) , and endocarpendocarp: the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers is the diaspore.
Seed
Size range	1.5–20 mm long
Shape(s)	globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , oblongoblong: 2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded , lens-shapedlens-shaped: 2D shape—round and flattened with two curved (convex) surfaces
Surface relief	smooth, wartywarty: surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose , minutely striated or pittedpitted: surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net , papillosepapillate: surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex , wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out , with conspicuous venation
Color(s)	brown, yellow, red
Other
Embryo	well-developed, completely to nearly filling seed cavity, axileaxile: on or of the axis and centric, foliatefoliate: appearing leaf-like , straight or curvedcurved: (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart , sometimes green, cotyledons usually thick and equal or unequal
Nutritive tissue	endosperm absent in large seeds or present and fleshy in small seeds

Distribution

Tropical and subtropical regions, with a few members in temperate regions

Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.

References

Berg 2001Berg 2001:
Berg CC. 2001. Moreae, Artocarpeae, and Dorstenia (Moraceae), with introductions to the family and Ficus and with additions and corrections to Flora Neotropica Monograph 7. Flora Neotropica 83: iii–346. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4393905; Berg and Hijman 1989Berg and Hijman 1989:
Berg CC and Hijman MEE. 1989. Moraceae. In: Flora of Tropical East Africa. Vol 117. AA Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands. 96 pp.; Bingham et al. 2021+Bingham et al. 2021+:
Bingham MG, Willeman A, Wursten BT, Ballings P, and Hyde MA. 2021. Flora of Zambia. Accessed January 2021–April 2024. URL: https://www.zambiaflora.com; Davidse et al. 2009–2018Davidse et al. 2009–2018:
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*The number of genera and species is based on Christenhusz and Byng 2016Christenhusz and Byng 2016:
Christenhusz MJM and Byng JW. 2016. The number of known plant species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa 261 (3): 201-217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.