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Morus (plant)
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<p><i>Morus</i>, a <a href="/facts/Genus/m8EFjSms">genus</a> of flowering plants in the family <a href="/facts/Moraceae/nFn8SjK7">Moraceae</a>, consists of 19 species of <a href="/facts/Deciduous/7jQHVtdd">deciduous</a> trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many <a href="/facts/Temperate/6WPypCzC">temperate</a> world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinate taxa, though the three most common are referred to as white, red, and black, originating from the color of their dormant buds and not necessarily the fruit color (<i><a href="/facts/Morus_alba/911JY9VU">Morus alba</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/Morus_rubra/UTwNjDt7">M. rubra</a></i>, and <i><a href="/facts/Morus_nigra/ctkbT2Hw">M. nigra</a></i>, respectively), with numerous <a href="/facts/Cultivar/nfaLJJM3">cultivars</a> and some taxa currently unchecked and awaiting taxonomic scrutiny. <i>M. alba</i> is native to <a href="/facts/South_Asia/7gTqe3hY">South Asia</a>, but is widely distributed across <a href="/facts/Europe/DTAtrKfh">Europe</a>, <a href="/facts/Southern_Africa/Ak6C1vgf">Southern Africa</a>, <a href="/facts/South_America/PhrFEMk7">South America</a>, and <a href="/facts/North_America/djNjCQIl">North America</a>. <i>M. alba</i> is also the species most preferred by the <a href="/facts/Bombyx_mori/r4IJIUtk">silkworm</a>. It is regarded as an <a href="/facts/Invasive_species/Ya1v6RGx">invasive species</a> in Brazil, the United States and some states of Australia. </p><p>The closely related genus <i><a href="/facts/Broussonetia/clkPmkXy">Broussonetia</a></i> is also commonly known as mulberry, notably the <a href="/facts/Paper_mulberry/dCNL64M3">paper mulberry</a> (<i>Broussonetia papyrifera</i>). </p><p>Despite their similar appearance, mulberries are not closely related to <a href="/facts/Raspberries/zHXkLC0s">raspberries</a> or <a href="/facts/Blackberries/MVD1DHFR">blackberries</a>. All three species belong to the <a href="/facts/Rosales/H73YkSeg">Rosales</a> order. But while the mulberry is a tree belonging to the <a href="/facts/Moraceae/nFn8SjK7">Moraceae</a> family (also including the <a href="/facts/Common_fig/vjBvExXl">fig</a>, <a href="/facts/Jackfruit/u1BYkNU0">jackfruit</a>, and other fruits), raspberries and blackberries are <a href="/facts/Brambles/whpSC2F7">brambles</a> and belong to the <a href="/facts/Rosaceae/KYrlFdv6">Rosaceae</a> family. </p>