Moraceae

Moraceae Temporal range: 80 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Cretaceous - Recent
250 px
Panama rubber tree (Castilla elastica)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Moraceae Gaudich.
Genera
See text.

The Moraceae — often called the mulberry family or fig family — are a family of flowering plants comprising about 40 genera and over 1000 species. Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates. The only synapomorphy within 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 flowers, and compound fruits. Included are well-known plants such as the fig, banyan, breadfruit, mulberry, and Osage-orange. The 'flowers' of Moraceae are often pseudanthia (reduced inflorescences).

Ficus retusa (Moraceae) in Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore

Classification

Formerly included within the now defunct order Urticales, recent molecular studies have resulted in its placement within Rosales in a clade called the urticalean rosids that also includes Ulmaceae, Celtidaceae, Cannabaceae and Urticaceae. Cecropia, which has variously been placed in Moraceae, Urticaceae, or their own family, Cecropiaceae, is now included in 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.

Genera

The five tribes of Moraceae are: Artocarpeae; Castilleae; Dorstenieae; Ficeae; and Moreae.

• Artocarpeae
  • Artocarpus J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.
  • Batocarpus H.Karst.
  • Clarisia Ruiz & Pav.
  • Hullettia King ex Hook.f.
  • Parartocarpus Baill.
  • Prainea King ex Hook.f.
  • Treculia Decne. ex Trécul

Castilleae Antiaris Lesch. Antiaropsis K.Schum. Castilla Cerv. Helicostylis Trécul Maquira Aubl. Mesogyne Engl. Naucleopsis Miq. Perebea Aubl. Poulsenia Eggers Pseudolmedia Trécul Sparattosyce Bureau

Dorstenieae Bosqueiopsis De Wild. & T.Durand Brosimum Sw. Dorstenia L. Helianthostylis Baill. Scyphosyce Baill. Trilepisium Thouars Trymatococcus Poepp. & Endl. Utsetela Pellegr.

Ficaea Ficus L.

Moreae Bagassa Aubl. Bleekrodea Blume Broussonetia L’Hér. ex Vent. Fatoua Gaudich. Maclura Nutt. Milicia Sim Morus L. Sorocea A.St.-Hil. Streblus Lour. Trophis P.Browne

References

• Datwyler, Shannon L. & Weiblen, George D. (2004): On the origin of the fig:Phylogenetic relationships of Moraceae from ndhF sequences. American Journal of Botany 91(5): 767-777. PDF fulltext
• Judd, Walter S.; Campbell, Christopher S.; Kellogg, Elizabeth A.; Stevens, Peter F. & Donoghue, Michael J. (2008): Plant Systematics: A Phylogenetic Approach. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Sunderland, MA.
• Sytsma, Kenneth J.; Morawetz, Jeffery; Pires, J. Chris; Nepokroeff, Molly; Conti, Elena; Zjhra, Michelle; Hall, Jocelyn C. & Chase, Mark W. (2002): Urticalean rosids: Circumscription, rosid ancestry, and phylogenetics based on rbcL, trnL-F, and ndhF sequences. American Journal of Botany 89(9): 1531-1546. PDF fulltext
• Zerega, Nyree J. C.; Clement, Wendy L.; Datwyler, Shannon L. & Weiblen, George D. (2005): Biogroegraphy and divergence times in the mulberry family (Moraceae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37(2): 402-416. doi|10.1016/j.ympev.2005.07.004 PDF fulltext

External links

• Moraceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants.

• Judd et al. (2008)
• Sytsma et al. (2002)
• Datwyler and Weiblen (2004)