The paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera, syn. Morus papyrifera L.) is a species of flowering tree in the family Moraceae. It is native to East and Southeast Asia, including mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Myanmar and Taiwan. It is widely cultivated elsewhere as an introduced species in New Zealand, parts of Europe, the United States, The tree is valued for its versatile uses. Its inner bark is traditionally processed into barkcloth and is also an important raw material in papermaking.
Other common names include aute and tapa cloth tree. The specific Latin epithet papyrifera describes the use of its barks for papermaking.
It is believed to be the most widely transported fiber crop in prehistory, having been carried across nearly the entire Austronesian world, reaching almost every island group in Polynesia, including Rapa Nui and Aotearoa. It was mainly propagated vegetatively through cuttings and root shoots, rarely from seeds, as plants were usually harvested before flowering and are dioecious, requiring both male and female trees for seed production. but likely became extinct by the 1840s due to reduced cultivation and browsing by introduced livestock.
Among ancient Austronesians, barkcloth was a primary clothing material produced with stone or wooden beaters, which are among the most common artifacts found in Austronesian archaeological sites. Early examples from the Dingmo site in Guangxi, dated to around (c. 7,900 BP) and numerous finds in southern China, especially around the Pearl River Delta, have been cited as evidence for pre-Taiwan Austronesian homelands prior to the southward expansion of the Han dynasty. In New Zealand, early Māori settlers retained Polynesian barkcloth (aute) techniques despite limited tree growth;
Across Austronesia, names for paper mulberry are not cognates, thus a Proto-Oceanic term cannot be reconstructed; however, Polynesia terms for barkcloth can be reconstructed from Proto-Nuclear-Polynesian *taba ("bark") reflected in Wayan taba and in Tongan, Samoan, Mangareva, and Rarotongan tapa, as well as Hawaiian kapa. Other widely terms stem from the Proto-Polynesian *siapo, seem in Niue, Tongan, and Marquesan hiapo, and in Samoan and East Futunan siapo.
Paper
thumb|Japanese washi papermaking process
The paper mulberry was a significant fiber crop in the history of paper. Known for its durability and longevity, it continues to be used in various traditional and contemporary paper-making practices today. It has been used for papermaking in China since sometime between the 2nd and 8th century, and in Korea, the oldest existing block print in the world (c. 751 AD) is printed on hanji paper using its fibers. High quality Korean Hanji and Japanese Washi are typically made from the inner bark of the paper mulberry, which is pounded and mixed with water to produce a paste, and dried into sheets.
The species is used as an ornamental plant. It tolerates disturbance and air pollution, so it has been useful as a landscaping plant on roadsides. It is a pioneer species that easily fills forest clearings, and it has been considered for reforestation efforts.
Invasive species
The ability of the plant to readily colonize available habitat, a trait that has contributed to its spread as an invasive species in several regions. It grows rapidly, typically reaching 3-4 metres in height within about two years. The pollen allergy and asthma caused by this plant sends thousands of patients to hospitals in Islamabad during March. The species should not be taken to other areas without due consideration of the potential of male plants to shed their injurious pollen.
The European Union has included it in the list of invasive alien species of Union concern and hence it cannot be imported, bred, transported, commercialized, or intentionally released into the environment in any of its member states.
Gallery
<gallery mode="packed">
Gelso da carta - autunno.JPG|Form
Broussonetia papyrifera - Botanischer Garten Freiburg - DSC06385.jpg|Pistillate flowers
Broussonetia papyrifera - fleurs mâles.jpg|Staminate flowers
Papiermaulbeerbaum blickwinkel.jpg|Fruit
Broussonetia papyrifera fruits.jpg|Fruit
Broussonetia papyrifera MHNT Texture of the trunk.jpg|Texture of the trunk
Starr 061106-1467 Broussonetia papyrifera.jpg|Preparing tapa
</gallery>
See also
- Domesticated plants and animals of Austronesia