Paper mulberry

Paper mulberry
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Moraceae
Genus:	Broussonetia
Species:	B. papyrifera
Binomial name
Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent.
Synonyms
Broussonetia elegans K.Koch[2] Morus papyrifera L. Papyrius papyrifera (L.) Kuntze

The paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera, syn. Morus papyrifera L.) is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae. It is native to Asia,^[3] where its range includes Taiwan, mainland China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, Myanmar, and India.^[4] It is widely cultivated elsewhere and it grows as an introduced species in New Zealand, parts of Europe, the United States,^[4] and Africa.^[5] Other common names include tapa cloth tree.^[4]

Origin

Paper mulberry was used among ancient

Left: 18th century kapa from Hawaii
Right: 19th century royal tapa from Fiji

Paper mulberry is primarily used in the Pacific Islands to make barkcloth (tapa in most Polynesian languages).^[6][7] Barkcloth can also be made from other members of the mulberry family (Moraceae), including Ficus (figs) and Artocarpus. Barkcloth was also occasionally made from Pipturus nettles, especially in Hawaii. However, the highest quality of barkcloth was from paper mulberry.^[11]

Barkcloth was mainly used for clothing among ancient Austronesians and is traditionally made using characteristic stone or wooden beaters, which are among the most common artifacts found in Austronesian archaeological sites. Numerous archaeological remains of barkcloth beaters in southern China have been regarded as evidence that the pre-Taiwan Austronesian homelands were located in the region prior to the

In New Zealand, traditional Polynesian methods for producing barkcloth (aute) [10] were retained by early settlers, despite the tree not growing as large in temperate New Zealand.^[9] Presumably the tree was used by early Māori for cloth, however by the 1770s, the primary use was to create a soft, white cloth used for fillets or in ear piercings by high-status men.^[9] Barkcloth textiles disappeared from use in the early 19th century, coinciding with the tree's disappearance from New Zealand.^[9]

Paper

The paper mulberry was a significant fiber crop in the history of paper. Known for its durability and longevity, it continues to be used in various traditional and contemporary paper-making practices today. It has been used for papermaking in China since sometime between the 2nd and 8th century, and in Korea, the oldest existing block print in the world (c. 751 AD) is printed on hanji paper using its fibers.^[14] High quality Korean Hanji and Japanese Washi are typically made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry, which is pounded and mixed with water to produce a paste, and dried into sheets.^[4]

Other uses

The wood of the plant is useful for making furniture and utensils, and the roots can be used as rope.^[4] The fruit and cooked leaves are edible.^[4]

The fruit, leaves, and bark have been used in systems of traditional medicine.^[4] For example, the bark and fruit of the species, known locally as jangli toot, are used as a laxative and antipyretic in rural Pakistan.^[15]

The species is used as an ornamental plant. It tolerates disturbance and air pollution, so it has been useful as a landscaping plant on roadsides. It is a pioneer species that easily fills forest clearings, and it has been considered for reforestation efforts.^[4] It grows well in many climate types.^[16]

Invasive weed

The ability of the plant to readily colonize available habitat, particularly disturbed areas, has helped it become an invasive species in some regions. It spreads rapidly when male and female individuals grow together and seeds are produced.^[4] Seed dispersal is accomplished by animals that eat the fruits, and the plants can form wide, dense stands via their spreading root systems.^[16]

This is considered to be one of the worst weeds in Pakistan, one of the most significant invasive plants on the Pampas in Argentina, and a dominant invasive in the forests of Uganda.^[16]

The pollen is allergenic.^[4] It is reportedly a main culprit of inhalant allergy in Islamabad, where the species is a very common urban weed.^[17] The pollen allergy and asthma caused by this plant sends thousands of patients to hospitals in Islamabad during March. The species should not be taken to other areas without due consideration of the potential of male plants to shed their injurious pollen.

Gallery

• 
  Form
• 
  Pistillate flowers
• 
  Staminate flowers
• 
  Fruit
• 
  Fruit
• 
  Texture of the trunk
• 
  Preparing tapa

See also

• Domesticated plants and animals of Austronesia

References