Maclura tricuspidata

Maclura tricuspidata is a tree native to East Asia, occasionally grown for its fruit, somewhat similar to that of the related mulberry (Morus spp.).

Maclura tricuspidata
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:	Maclura
Species:	M. tricuspidata
Binomial name
Maclura tricuspidata (Carrière) Bureau
Synonyms
Cudrania tricuspidata Carrière Cudrania triloba Hance Vaniera tricuspidata Hu

Common names

Among its common names are Chinese mulberry (but not to be confused with Morus australis also known by that name), storehousebush, mandarin melon berry, silkworm thorn, cudrang, kujibbong, zhe or che (Chinese: 柘; pinyin: zhè).^{[citation needed]}

Description

It grows up to 6 m high.

The Tanzhe Temple west of Beijing, China is named for this tree.

Uses

Aside from its edible fruit,^[2] which can also be used to make wine, the tree has several other uses. In China, its leaves are fed to silkworms, its bark is used to make paper and a reddish-yellow dye, and its roots are used for medicinal purposes. Its wood is also valuable, and is used for the construction of bows.^[3][4]

Fossil record

Fossils similar to Maclura tricuspidata have been collected from the Eocene of France, Miocene of Bulgaria, Pliocene of China, and Quaternary of Japan.^[5]