tree of the month, january 2017: paper mulberry, …...tree of the month, january 2017: paper...

TreeoftheMonth,January2017:Papermulberry,tapaclothtree(Broussonetiapapyrifera)

Papermulberryisbeautifulthroughouttheseasons.Fuzzy,round,greeninflorescenceswithsilkypinkstamens(onfemaletrees)andlonggreencatkins(onmaletrees)appearinspringasthenewleavesunfurl.Evenwithinasingletree,theleavesarehighlyvariable,fromentiretolobedormitten-shaped.Redfruitclustersappearinautumn,contrastingwiththeyellow-greenandbrownstripedbark,whichprovidesyear-roundinterest.ThebarkhasalsobeenusedinAsianfiberartsandmedicineforcenturies.

Papermulberryisamemberofthemulberryfamily(Moraceae)andisnativetoChina,Taiwan,Japan,Korea,Laos,Cambodia,Vietnam,ThailandandIndia.Thisdeciduoustreecangrow10-20meterstallandisdioecious(eachtreeiseithermaleorfemale).

Asthecommonnameandspecificepithetsuggest,Broussonetiapapyrifera(meaning“tocarryorbringpaper”inLatin)isusedtomakepaper.Theinnerbarkisharvestedfromyoungtrees,beatenintoapaste,mixedwithmucilagefromanotherplant,oftenAbelmoschusmanihot(amemberofthehibiscusfamily),andspreadflatonscreenstodry.BroussonetiapapyriferahasbeenusedforpapermakinginChinasince100AD,inKoreasince130AD,andinJapansince600AD.

BroussonetiapapyriferawasintroducedtothePacificIslandsover1000yearsagoandwascultivatedtomakeatextileknownthroughouttheislandsas“tapacloth”.Tomaketapacloth,theinnerbarkisharvestedfromyoungtreesinstrips,whichwerepoundedflat,gluedtogetherinsheetsandpaintedwithintricatepatterns.Inthepast,tapaclothwasusedformakingclothing,buttodayitismainlyusedceremonially,ascottonandotherimportedfabricsaremuchmorepopularfordailywear.BroussonetiapapyriferawascarriedasfarasHawai‛i,NewZealand,thePitcairnIslandsandRapaNui(EasterIsland),andgeneticstudiesofthetreesthatgrowonthoseislandstodaycanhelpusrecreatethepathsofearlyhumanmigrationfromAsiatothePacificIslands.

InChinaandIndia,Broussonetiapapyriferaisusedmedicinally.Theleaveshavebeenusedtraditionallyasalaxative,thefruitsmadeintoatonic,thebarktakentotreatdysenteryandhaemorrhage,andthelatexappliedtoeczema,beestingsandbitesfromsnakesanddogs.

AtVanDusen,papermulberrycanbefoundintheFernDell(seemaponreverse).