SK1117 30 APR-2018

[Saroj Kasaju]

Dear Members,

Location:  Godawari, Nepal  

Date: 18 April 2018

Altitude: 5000 ft.

Habit:Cultivated

Morus australis Poir.  ??

or M.alba ???

Thank you.

Saroj Kasaju

[J.M. Garg]

Beautiful images. 

[Saroj Kasaju]

Thank you Mr. Garg !

Saroj Kasaju 

[J.M. Garg]

Its taxonomy seems quite confusing.

Checklist of Nepal only gives Morus australis Poir. out of the two, with no syn.

Flora of China gives Morus australis Poiret in Desrousseaux et al. with M. alba Linnaeus var. indica Bureau as syn. among others (with remarks that this species is closely related to Morus indica Linnaeus, and some authors have considered them conspecific. Varieties have been recognized on the basis of differences in leaf form, particularly the degree of division. Deeply divided leaves are characteristic of juvenile growth in a number of genera in the Moraceae and other families, and it does not seem advisable to give such material formal names, at least without more detailed population studies.)

Flora of China treats Morus alba Linnaeus as a distinct species.

In view, Flora of Pakistan giving Morus alba L. with Morus indica L. as a syn. may not be correct.

Catalogue of Life gives as Morus alba var. indica (L.) Bur. (syn: Morus alba Bur.; Morus cashmeriana Royle; Morus cuspidata Wall.; Morus indica L.; Morus laciniata Noronha; Morus latifolia Poir.; Morus parvifolia Royle)

 

Catalogue of Life  gives Morus australis Poir. as a different species without giving M. alba Linnaeus var. indica Bureau as a syn.

In view of all this I prefer to take posted plant as Morus alba var. indica, to which it matches.

--

With regards,
J.M.Garg

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[Saroj Kasaju]

According to POWO, Morus indica L. is the  accepted name. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:854652-1 

Thank you.

Saroj Kasaju