Moraceae is a family of comprising about 48 genera and over 1100 species,
Description
Overall
The family varies from colossal trees like the Indian Banyan (
Ficus benghalensis) which can cover of ground, to
Dorstenia barnimiana which is a small stemless, bulbous
succulent 2–5 cm in diameter that produces a single
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Flowers
The individual flowers are often small, with single whorled or absent
perianth. Most flowers have either petals or sepals, but not both, known as
monochlamydeae, and have pistils and stamens in different flowers, known as
diclinous. Except for
Brosimum gaudichaudii and
Castilla elastica, the perianth in all species of the Moraceae contain sepals. If the flower has an inflexed stamen, then pollen is released and distributed by wind dispersal; however, if the stamen is straight, then insect pollination is most likely to occur. Insect pollination occurs in
Antiaropsis,
Artocarpus,
Castilla,
Dorstenia,
Ficus, and
Mesogyne.
Leaves
The leaves are much like the flowers when analyzing diversity. The leaves can be singly attached to the stem or alternating, they may be lobed or unlobed, and can be evergreen or deciduous depending on the species in question. The
red mulberry can host numerous leaf types on the same tree. Leaves can be both lobed and unlobed and appear very different, but coexist on the same plant.
Fruits and seeds
Plant species in the Moraceae are best known for their fruits. Overall, most species produced a fleshy fruit containing seeds. Examples include the
breadfruit from
Artocarpus altilis, the
mulberry from
Morus rubra, the
fig from
Ficus carica, and the
jackfruit from
Artocarpus heterophyllus.
Taxonomy
Formerly included within the now defunct order
Urticales, recent molecular studies have resulted in the family's placement within the
Rosales in a clade called the urticalean rosids that also includes
Ulmaceae,
Celtidaceae,
Cannabaceae, and
Urticaceae.
Cecropia, which has variously been placed in the Moraceae, Urticaceae, or their own family, Cecropiaceae, is now included in the Urticaceae.
Dioecy (having individuals with separate sexes) appears to be the primitive state in Moraceae.
Phylogeny
Modern molecular phylogenetics suggest these relationships:
Tribes and genera
Moraceae is comprised 48 genera
[ in seven tribes.][Gardner, E.M., Garner, M., Cowan, R., Dodsworth, S., Epitawalage, N., Arifiani, D., Sahromi, Baker, W.J., Forest, F., Maurin, O., Zerega, N.J.C., Monro, A.K. and Hipp, A. (2021), Repeated parallel losses of inflexed stamens in Moraceae: Phylogenomics and generic revision of the tribe Moreae and the reinstatement of the tribe Olmedieae (Moraceae). Taxon
/ref>
]
Other genera accepted by Plants of the World Online :
Fossil genera and species
In addition to the living species, a number of fossil genera have been ascribed to the family:
Evolution
While the fossil record of Moraceae goes back to the late Cretaceous, molecular clock estimates suggest that the family had begun to diversify by the mid-Cretaceous, with some major clades emerging during the Tertiary period.
Distribution
Moraceae can be found throughout the world with a cosmopolitan distribution. The majority of species originate in the Old World tropics, particularly in Asia and the Pacific islands.
See also
External links
