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paper-mulberry, wauke

Habit Trees, to 15 m.
Bark

tan, smooth or moderately furrowed.

Branchlets

brown, spreading pubescent.

Leaves

blade entire or 3-5-lobed, 6-20 × 5-15 cm, base shallowly cordate, often oblique, truncate, or broadly rounded, margins serrate, apex acuminate;

surfaces abaxially densely gray-pubescent, adaxially scabrous.

Staminate flowers

sepals pubescent.

Pistillate flowers

style elongate-filiform.

Terminal

bud absent, axillary buds dark brown, short-pubescent;

leaf scars nearly circular, somewhat elevated.

Staminate

inflorescences 6-8 cm;

peduncle 2-4 cm.

Pistillate

inflorescences ca. 2 cm diam., villous.

Syncarps

globose, 2-3 cm diam.;

drupes red or orange, oblanceolate, each exserted from its calyx.

Broussonetia papyrifera

Phenology Flowering spring.
Habitat Disturbed thickets
Elevation 0-600 m (0-2000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NE; NJ; NY; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV; native to Asia [Introduced in North America]
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Discussion

Broussonetia papyrifera is now widely naturalized in eastern United States. Frequently planted as a shade tree around dwellings, it is often considered undesirable because of its aggressiveness, shallow root system, and soft, brittle wood. The bark of the tree is used to produce a barkcloth.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Moraceae > Broussonetia
Synonyms Morus papyrifera, Papyrius papyrifera
Name authority (Linnaeus) Ventenat: Tabl. Règn. Vég. 3: 547. (1799)
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