The Moraceae — often called the mulberry family or fig family — are a family of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...
s comprising about 38 genera and over 1100 species.
Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates; however, their distribution is cosmopolitan overall. The only
synapomorphy within the Moraceae is presence of
laticifers and milky
sap in all
parenchymatous tissues, but generally useful field characters include two
carpels sometimes with one reduced, compound inconspicuous
flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...
s, and compound
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...
s.
The family includes well-known plants such as the
fig,
banyan
A banyan, also spelled "banian", is a fig that develops accessory trunks from adventitious prop roots, allowing the tree to spread outwards indefinitely. This distinguishes banyans from other trees with a strangler habit that begin life as a ...
,
breadfruit,
jackfruit,
mulberry, and
Osage orange. The 'flowers' of Moraceae are often
pseudanthia (reduced
inflorescences).
Historical taxonomy
Formerly included within the now defunct order
Urticales, recent molecular studies have resulted in the family's placement within the
Rosales in a clade called the urticalean rosids that also includes
Ulmaceae,
Celtidaceae,
Cannabaceae, and
Urticaceae. ''
Cecropia'', which has variously been placed in the Moraceae, Urticaceae, or their own family, Cecropiaceae, is now included in the Urticaceae.
Dioecy (having individuals with separate sexes) appears to be the primitive state in Moraceae.
Monoecy has evolved independently at least four times within the family.
Characteristics
Flowers
The individual flowers are often small, with single whorled or absent
perianth. Most flowers have either petals or sepals, but not both, known as
monochlamydeae
Monochlamydae is an artificial taxonomic group used in the identification of plants. It was largely abandoned by taxonomists in the 19th century, but has been often used since. Bentham and Hooker's classification, published in 1880, used this gr ...
, and have pistils and stamens in different flowers, known as
diclinous
Plant reproductive morphology is the study of the physical form and structure (the morphology) of those parts of plants directly or indirectly concerned with sexual reproduction.
Among all living organisms, flowers, which are the reproductive st ...
. Except for ''
Brosimum gaudichaudii'' and ''
Castilla elastica'', the perianth in all species of the Moraceae contain sepals. If the flower has an inflexed stamen, then pollen is released and distributed by wind dispersal; however, if the stamen is straight, then insect pollination is most likely to occur. Insect pollination occurs in ''
Antiaropsis
''Antiaropsis'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Moraceae. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers borne on separate plants.
Its native range is New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as P ...
'', ''
Artocarpus'', ''
Castilla
Castile, Castille or Castilla may refer to:
Places Spain
*Castile (historical region), a vaguely defined historical region of Spain covering most of Castile and León, all of the Community of Madrid and most of Castilla–La Mancha
*Kingdom of ...
'', ''
Dorstenia'', ''
Ficus'', and ''
Mesogyne
''Mesogyne'' is a genus of plants in the family Moraceae
The Moraceae — often called the mulberry family or fig family — are a family of flowering plants comprising about 38 genera and over 1100 species. Most are widespread in tropical and ...
''.
Leaves
The leaves are much like the flowers when analyzing diversity. The leaves can be singly attached to the stem or alternating, they may be lobed or unlobed, and can be evergreen or deciduous depending on the species in question. The
red mulberry
''Morus rubra'', commonly known as the red mulberry, is a species of mulberry native to eastern and central North America. It is found from Ontario, Minnesota, and Vermont south to southern Florida, and west as far as southeastern South Dak ...
can host numerous leaf types on the same tree. Leaves can be both lobed and unlobed and appear very different, but coexist on the same plant.
Fruits and seeds
Plant species in the Moraceae are best known for their fruits. Overall, most species produced a fleshy fruit containing seeds. Examples include the
breadfruit from ''Artocarpus altillis'', the
mulberry from ''Morus rubra'', the
fig from ''Ficus carica'', and the
jackfruit from ''Artocarpus heterophyllus''.
Distribution
Moraceae can be found throughout the world with a cosmopolitan distribution, thought to be due to the breakup of
Gondwana during the
Jurassic period.
The majority of species originate in the Old World tropics, particularly in Asia and the Pacific islands.
Phylogeny
Modern
molecular phylogenetics
Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
suggest these relationships:
Tribes and genera
The Moraceae comprise:
*
Artocarpeae Lam. & DC. 1806
** ''
Artocarpus''
J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. (c. 50 spp.)
** ''
Batocarpus
''Batocarpus'' is a genus of trees in the family Moraceae, native to North and South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the ...
''
H.Karst. (4 spp.)
** ''
Clarisia''
Ruiz & Pav. (3 spp.)
** ''
Hullettia
''Hullettia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Moraceae.
It is native to Myanmar, Malay Peninsula, Malaya, Thailand and Sumatera.
The genus name of ''Hullettia'' is in honour of Richmond William Hullett (1843–1914), an En ...
''
King ex Hook.f. (2 spp.)
** ''
Parartocarpus
''Parartocarpus'' is a genus of trees in the family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to mai ...
''
Baill. (3 spp.)
** ''
Prainea''
King ex Hook.f. (4 spp.)
** ''
Treculia''
Decne. ex Trécul (3 spp.)
*
Castilleae C.C.Berg 1977
**
Antiaropsineae (C.C.Berg) Clement & Weiblen 2005
*** ''
Antiaropsis
''Antiaropsis'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Moraceae. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers borne on separate plants.
Its native range is New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as P ...
''
K.Schum. (1 sp.)
*** ''
Sparattosyce
''Sparattosyce'' is a genus of trees in the family Moraceae. The genus is endemic to New Caledonia in the Pacific and contains two species. Its closest relative is '' Antiaropsis'' from New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; ...
''
Bur. (1 sp.)
**
Castillineae Clement & Weiblen 2009
*** ''
Antiaris''
Lesch. (1 sp.)
*** ''
Castilla
Castile, Castille or Castilla may refer to:
Places Spain
*Castile (historical region), a vaguely defined historical region of Spain covering most of Castile and León, all of the Community of Madrid and most of Castilla–La Mancha
*Kingdom of ...
''
Cerv. (3 spp.)
*** ''
Helicostylis
''Helicostylis'' is a genus of plant
Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, a ...
''
Trécul (7 spp.)
*** ''
Maquira''
Aubl. (5 spp.)
*** ''
Mesogyne
''Mesogyne'' is a genus of plants in the family Moraceae
The Moraceae — often called the mulberry family or fig family — are a family of flowering plants comprising about 38 genera and over 1100 species. Most are widespread in tropical and ...
''
Engl. (1 sp.)
*** ''
Naucleopsis''
Miq. (c. 20 spp.)
*** ''
Perebea''
Aubl. (9 spp.)
*** ''
Poulsenia
''Poulsenia'' is a monotypic genus of trees in the family Moraceae
The Moraceae — often called the mulberry family or fig family — are a family of flowering plants comprising about 38 genera and over 1100 species. Most are widespread in tr ...
''
Eggers (1 sp.)
*** ''
Pseudolmedia''
Trécul (c. 9 spp.)
*
Dorstenieae
Dorstenieae is a tribe within the plant family Moraceae. The tribe includes eight genera and about 120 species.
Genera
*''Bleekrodea''
*'' Bosqueiopsis''
*'' Brosimum'' – Breadnut
*'' Bosqueiopsis''
*'' Broussonetia''
*'' Dorstenia''
*''Fato ...
Dumort. 1830
** ''
Bleekrodea
''Bleekrodea'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Moraceae.
Its native range is Madagascar, Tropical Asia.
Species:
*'' Bleekrodea insignis''
*'' Bleekrodea madagascariensis''
*'' Bleekrodea tonkinensis''
References
...
''
Blume (3 spp.)
** ''
Bosqueiopsis
''Bosqueiopsis gilletii'' is a species of flowering plant belonging to the family Moraceae. It is the sole species in genus ''Bosqueiopsis''. It is native to tropical Africa, where it ranges from Republic of the Congo through Democratic Republi ...
''
De Wild. & T.Durand (1 sp.)
** ''
Brosimum''
Sw. (13 spp.)
** ''
Broussonetia''
L’Hér. ex Vent. (8 spp.)
** ''
Dorstenia''
L. (c. 105 spp.)
** ''
Fatoua''
Gaudich. (3 spp.)
** ''
Helianthostylis
''Brosimum'' is a genus of plants in the family Moraceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas.
The breadnut ('' B. alicastrum'') was used by the Maya civilization for its edible nut. The dense vividly colored scarlet wood of '' B. paraens ...
''
Baill. (2 spp.)
** ''
Malaisia''
Blanco 1837 (1 sp.)
** ''
Scyphosyce
''Scyphosyce'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Moraceae.
Its native range is Nigeria and west-central Tropical Africa
Although tropical Africa is mostly familiar to the West for its rainforests, this biogeographic re ...
''
Baill. (2 spp.)
** ''
Sloetia
''Sloetia'' is a monotypic genus (i.e. a genus that contains just one species) of plants in the mulberry family, Moraceae. The sole species is ''Sloetia elongata'', a tree native to southeastern Asia, ranging from the Nicobar Islands to Penins ...
''
Teijsm. & Binn. ex Kurz 1864 (1 sp.)
** ''
Trilepisium
''Trilepisium'', the urnfigs or false-figs, is a small Afrotropical genus of plants in family Moraceae. They grow to medium-sized or large trees that occur in evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, flooded forests or forest patches and often alo ...
''
Thouars (1 sp.)
** ''
Trymatococcus
''Brosimum'' is a genus of plants in the family Moraceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas.
The breadnut ('' B. alicastrum'') was used by the Maya civilization for its edible nut. The dense vividly colored scarlet wood of '' B. paraen ...
''
Poepp. & Endl. (2 spp.)
** ''
Utsetela
''Utsetela'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Moraceae
The Moraceae — often called the mulberry family or fig family — are a family of flowering plants comprising about 38 genera and over 1100 species. Most are widesp ...
''
Pellegr. (1 sp.)
*
Ficeae
''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending i ...
Gaudich. 1830
**''
Ficus''
L. (750 spp.)
*
Maclureae
''Maclura'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mulberry family, Moraceae. It includes the inedible Osage orange, which is used as mosquito repellent and grown throughout the United States as a hedging plant. It is dioecious, with male and ...
W.L. Clement & Weiblen 2009
** ''
Maclura''
Nutt. (11 spp.)
*
Moreae
Moreae is a tribe within the plant family Moraceae. It includes 6–10 genera and 70–80 species, including '' Morus'', the genus that includes the mulberries, and ''Maclura'', the genus that includes the Osage orange.
Recent work suggests that ...
Dumort. 1829
** ''
Bagassa''
Aubl. (1 sp.)
** ''
Milicia''
Sim (2 spp.)
** ''
Morus''
L. (c. 12 spp.)
** ''
Sorocea''
A.St.-Hil. (22 spp.)
** ''
Streblus
''Streblus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mulberry family, Moraceae. The genus is found in the Pacific across Southeast Asia, Eastern Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Species include:
*''Streblus asper'' Lour. – Siame ...
''
Lour. (c. 24 spp.)
** ''
Trophis''
P.Browne (8 spp.)
*Fossils
**
†
A dagger, obelisk, or obelus is a typographical mark that usually indicates a footnote if an asterisk has already been used. The symbol is also used to indicate death (of people) or extinction (of species). It is one of the modern descendan ...
''
Artocarpoides''
References
External links
Moraceaei
L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants.
{{Authority control
Rosales
Rosid families
Extant Campanian first appearances