Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 21, 2026

Morus macroura

Morus macroura, also known as the king white mulberry, shahtoot mulberry, Tibetan mulberry, or long mulberry is a flowering plant species in the genus Morus found in Tibet, the Himalayas, mountainous area of Indonesia, and rain forests of Indochina. It is a medium-sized tree, with a spreading canopy which grows with a weeping habit. Ripe fruit is white, pink or red, and is described as honey-sweet.

Last revised
Jul 21, 2026
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≈ 2 min
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Wikipedia ↗
Morus macroura
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Moraceae
Genus: Morus
Species:
M. macroura
Binomial name
Morus macroura
Miq., 1851
Synonyms

Morus laevigata Wall.
Morus alba var. laevigata Bur.
Morus alaisia Deless. ex Moretti

Morus macroura,2 also known as the king white mulberry,3 shahtoot mulberry, Tibetan mulberry, or long mulberry is a flowering plant species in the genus Morus found in Tibet, the Himalayas, mountainous area of Indonesia, and rain forests of Indochina.456 It is a medium-sized tree, with a spreading canopy which grows with a weeping habit.7 Ripe fruit is white, pink or red, and is described as honey-sweet.8

Genomics

A chromosome-level genome assembly of Morus macroura was published in 2026. The genome size is approximately 318.6 Mb, with 99.64% of the contig sequences anchored to 14 pseudo-chromosomes. The assembly has a BUSCO completeness of 97.21%, and 21,824 protein-coding genes were predicted. The assembly provides a resource for understanding genetic mechanisms underlying low chilling requirement and year-round fruiting.9

References

References

  1. IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group & Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) (2021). "Morus macroura". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021 e.T192353158A192374133. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  2. Miquel, Friedrich Anton Wilhelm (1851). "Moreae". Plantae junghuhnianae :enumeratio plantarum, quas, in insulis Java et Sumatra /Detexit Fr. Junghuhn. Plantae Junghuhnianae. Vol. 1. p. 42. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.388.
  3. Muhammad Akram & Faheem Aftab (2012). "Efficient micropropagation and rooting of king white mulberry (Morus macroura miq.) var. laevigata from nodal explants of mature tree".
  4. "'Morus macroura'". Tropicos. Missouri Botanical Gardens. Retrieved 9 May 2016 – via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
  5. Roskov Y.; Kunze T.; Orrell T.; Abucay L.; Paglinawan L.; Culham A.; Bailly N.; Kirk P.; Bourgoin T.; Baillargeon G.; Decock W.; De Wever A. (2014). Didžiulis V. (ed.). "Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2014 Annual Checklist". Species 2000: Reading, UK. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  6. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World
  7. Muhammad Akram & Faheem Aftab (2012). "Efficient micropropagation and rooting of king white mulberry (Morus macroura miq.) var. laevigata from nodal explants of mature tree".
  8. Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery (2016). "Mulberry Shahtoot or King White". Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  9. Wu, Huazhou; Wang, Jiabin; Geng, Tao; Yao, Yuling; Lin, Peiqun; Wang, Shuchang; Xu, Li (2026). "A high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of the low chilling requirement mulberry, Morus macroura". Scientific Data. 13 (1) 458. doi:10.1038/s41597-026-07117-2. PMC 13022433. PMID 41888543.