Family Moraceae, the Mulberry or Fig Family

Name: Moraceae

Meaning of Name:
Moraceae, from Latin mōrus (‘mulberry tree’) + Latin -āceae (the feminine plural of -āceus,‘resembling’, a suffix used to form the taxonomic family names of plants, algae, bacteria, and fungi)

Common Names:
The mulberry or fig family

Botanical Information:
Moraceae contains 48 genera and over 1,100 species found mostly in tropical and subtropical reagions. Plants in this family are mostly known for their fleshy fruits (such as mulberry, fig, breadfruit and jackfruit), but the Panama rubber tree (Castilla elastica) is also in this family.

Indeed, one defining botanical characteristic of Moraceae is that their leaves and stems contain latex-producing glands, and that their soft tissue contains a milky sap.

The photo chosen to illustrate this family shows the milky sap of the common fig (Ficus carica).

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