About Morus microphylla Buckley
This species is most commonly known by the common name Texas mulberry. It is a shrub or tree that can sometimes reach 25 feet (7.5 m) in height. It is native to South America, Central America, Mexico, and the southwestern United States, with a range extending from Argentina in the south as far north as Arizona and Oklahoma. In the United States, it grows in canyons and on slopes, usually near streams, at elevations between 200 and 2,200 metres (660 to 7,220 feet). It has much smaller leaves than the two other Morus species found in the US, Morus alba and Morus rubra, with leaf blades usually measuring less than 2+3⁄4 inches (7 centimetres) long. Its edible fruits are red, purple, or nearly black; these fruits are eaten by wildlife, and were historically consumed by Native Americans. Probably in prehistoric ancient times, the Havasupai people introduced this species to the Grand Canyon. This species is very frequently called Morus microphylla Buckley, including in Flora of North America, but recent studies indicate these two names are synonyms, with Morus celtidifolia holding nomenclatural priority.
