Chinese Mulberry

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Chinese Mulberry
• silkworm thorn
• cudrang

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Cudrania tricuspidata
• Vanieria triloba
• Cudrania triloba
• Morus integrifolia
• Vanieria tricuspidata

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Under the subclass Magnoliidae, it falls into the order Rosales and the family Moraceae. It is specifically identified by the genus Maclurura.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical presence across several key regions in East and Southeast Asia. Within China, its range extends through the South-Central, North-Central, and Southeast provinces. Moving eastward, the species is also naturally distributed throughout Korea. Its habitat further expands into the Indo-China region, specifically documented in Vietnam. Together, these locations highlight the diverse environmental settings where the species thrives.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Maclurura tricuspidata is characterized by its nature as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons and establish a long-term presence in its ecosystem. Throughout its developmental stages, the species exhibits a deciduous growth habit, shedding its foliage periodically as part of its seasonal cycle. This combination of a long-lived perennial lifecycle and a deciduous strategy enables the plant to adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions and seasonal shifts in resource availability.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Maclurura tricuspidata is characterized by its growth form as a woody shrub, exhibiting a robust and perennial structure. As a plant that can exhibit climbing tendencies, it functions as a self-supporting climber, utilizing its structural integrity to maintain an upright or ascending posture within its habitat. Its woody nature provides the necessary rigidity to support its vegetative development, distinguishing its physical architecture from non-woody or herbaceous species.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

shrub

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Maclura tricuspidata is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which governs its carbon fixation processes. The plant's foliage is defined by an ovate leaf form featuring distinctly toothed margins, and it lacks the presence of leaf thorns or spines. Morphological and structural efficiency can be assessed through its leaf traits, specifically a Specific Leaf Area (SLA) that remains consistent at a value of 195.5444392 cm²/g across its minimum, mean, and maximum measurements. Additionally, the structural integrity of its woody tissue is indicated by a stem specific density (SSD) of 990 mg/cm³.

Leaf form :

ovate

Leaf margin :

toothed

Leaf spines :

no

Leaf thorns :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) min:

195.5444392 cm²/g

Stem specific density (SSD) mean:

990 mg/cm³

Reproduction

The reproduction of Maclurura tricuspidata is characterized by the production of seeds that exhibit a highly consistent physical profile. Based on botanical data, the seed mass is remarkably uniform, with a mean mass of 0.03082 g. This consistency is reflected in the extreme narrowness of its distribution, as both the maximum and minimum recorded seed mass values are identical at 0.03082 g. This lack of variance suggests a highly standardized seed development process within the species, ensuring that each reproductive unit maintains a specific, predictable mass for dispersal and germination.

Seed mass mean:

0.03082 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Maclura tricuspidata has 4 reported plant parts identified across 16 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit, root, leaf, stem.

Fruit

1. Journal of natural products
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Scientific reports
4. Archives of pharmacal research
5. International journal of nanomedicine

Root

1. Journal of natural products
2. International journal of nanomedicine
3. Natural product research
4. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Leaf

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
2. International journal of nanomedicine
3. Planta medica

Stem

1. Phytochemistry
2. International journal of nanomedicine
3. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Chemicals

Maclura tricuspidata has 30 reported phytochemicals identified across 16 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoid, kaempferol, quercetin, 1A, 2,3,6,8-tetrahydroxy-1-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-5-(2-methylbut-3-en-2-yl)-9H-xanthen-9-one.

Flavonoid

1. Food chemistry: X
2. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)

kaempferol

1. Planta medica
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

quercetin

1. Planta medica
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

1A

1. Scientific reports

2,3,6,8-tetrahydroxy-1-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-5-(2-methylbut-3-en-2-yl)-9H-xanthen-9-one

1. Journal of natural products

6,8-di-p-hydroxybenzyltaxifolin

1. Phytochemistry

6-Prenylapigenin

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

6-p-hydroxybenzyltaxifolin

1. Phytochemistry

8-p-hydroxybenzyltaxifolin

1. Phytochemistry

Carthamidin

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Activities

Maclura tricuspidata has 1 reported activities identified across 16 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Cytotoxic.

Cytotoxic

1. Phytochemistry
2. Journal of natural products

Conditions

Maclura tricuspidata has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 16 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma

1. International journal of nanomedicine

Preparations

Maclura tricuspidata has 18 reported preparations identified across 16 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include CH2Cl2-soluble extract of the root bark, Herbal extracts, MT fruit (MTF) extract, MT leaf (MTL) extract, MT root (MTR) extract.

Ch2cl2-soluble extract of the root bark

1. Journal of natural products

Herbal extracts

1. Journal of microbiology (Seoul, Korea)

Mt fruit (mtf) extract

1. International journal of nanomedicine

Mt leaf (mtl) extract

1. International journal of nanomedicine

Mt root (mtr) extract

1. International journal of nanomedicine

Mt stem (mts) extract

1. International journal of nanomedicine

Cell suspension cultures

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Chloroform extract of the root barks

1. Natural product research

Ethyl acetate extract

1. Scientific reports

Fruit extract

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association