''Morus celtidifolia,'' the Texas mulberry, is a plant species native to South America, Central America, Mexico, and the southwestern United States, ranging from Argentina north as far as
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
and
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
. In the US, it grows in canyons and on slopes, usually near streams, from in elevation. It is very often referred to as "''Morus microphylla''," including in Flora of North America, but recent studies suggest that these names are synonymous with ''M. celtidifolia'' holding priority.
[Berg, C. C. 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–iv, 1–346.]
''Morus celtidifolia'' is a shrub or tree, sometimes reaching in height. It has much smaller leaves than the other two species in the US (''
M. alba'' and ''
M. rubra''), the blade usually less than long. The edible fruits are red, purple, or nearly black,
and are consumed by wildlife, and, historically, by Native Americans. In ancient (probably prehistoric) times, the
Havasupai
The Havasupai people (Havasupai: ''Havsuw' Baaja'') are an American Indian tribe who have lived in the Grand Canyon for at least the past 800 years. ''Havasu'' means "blue-green water" and ''pai'' "people".
Located primarily in an area know ...
people introduced the species to the
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...
.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15472477
celtidifolia
Flora of the Southwestern United States
Flora of Central America
Flora of Mexico
Flora of South America
Plants described in 1817