Genus of the Month
October
This page has been created for people who want to learn more about plants, especially in the
context of their taxonomy (Latin names, etc.). This is by no means an exhaustive list of
all available Web resources for a particular genus.
If you like this page, you might also want to visit the Land of the Glandular Trichomes
, a microscopic look at plants in the Lamiaceae family. Also, you can see my contribution to the
Conservation New England web site, entitled
"The Introduction of Non-Native Plants into Massachusetts".
This month's genus:
Broussonetia
Subclass: Dicotyledoneae
Superorder: Dilleniidae
Order: Urticales
Family: Moraceae
Number of Species: around 5
Root: Named after the French nautralist Broussonet (Source)
Plants in the genus Broussonetia are trees or shrubs native to Asia. While species have been planted all over the
world for ornamental or economic purposes, at least one species (B. papyrifera, Paper Mulberry) has become naturalized and has shown the potential to become invasive.
Here are a few links to images and descriptions of different Broussonetia species:
- Joseph E. Armstrong has a nice photo essay on the origin of paper, which was first made using the bark of B. papyrifera.
- Here's a nice set of photos and a description of B. papyrifera if you are interested in locating it near where you live. (From the Dendrology web site of Virginia Tech)
- Though it can also be used to make paper, B. kazinoki has many other uses that are described in the "Plants for a Future" Database.
- Click here, then scroll down to "Box 1", for more information about how B. papyrifera in Canada may be hybridizing with the native Morus rubra.
References:
- Heywood, V.H., ed. Flowering Plants of the World. New York, Oxford University Press: 1993.
Current Genus of the Week
Jenn's Home Page
Kesseli Lab