''Maclura'' is a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the

mulberry ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinat ...

family,

Moraceae Moraceae is a family of flowering plants comprising about 48 genera and over 1100 species, and is commonly known as the mulberry or fig family. Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates; however, their ...

. It includes the inedible

Osage orange ''Maclura pomifera'', commonly known as the Osage orange ( ), is a small deciduous tree or large shrub, native to the south-central United States. It typically grows about tall. The distinctive fruit, a multiple fruit that resembles an immatur ...

, which is used as

mosquito Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a Family (biology), family of small Diptera, flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by ''Musca (fly), mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mos ...

repellent and grown throughout the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

as a hedging plant. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers borne on separate plants. ''Maclura'' is closely related to the genus '' Cudrania'', and hybrids between the two genera have been produced. Some botanists recognize a more broadly defined ''Maclura'' that includes species previously included in ''Cudrania'' and other genera of Moraceae. The genus likely originated in South America during the

Paleogene The Paleogene Period ( ; also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene) is a geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Neogene Period Ma. It is the fir ...

Species

13 species are accepted. * '' Maclura africana'' – eastern Africa and Madagascar * '' Maclura andamanica'' –

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Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands () are an archipelago, made up of 200 islands, in the northeastern Indian Ocean about southwest off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region. Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a mari ...

* '' Maclura brasiliensis'' –

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Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

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, and

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* '' Maclura cochinchinensis'' (Syn.: ''Cudrania cochinchinensis'', ''Cudrania javanensis'', ''Vanieria cochinchinensis'') –

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Malesia Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the Equator and the boundaries of the Indomalayan and Australasian realms. It is a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical kingdom. It was first recognized as a distinct region ...

, and northern

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* '' Maclura fruticosa'' – China and Vietnam * '' Maclura mollis'' – Mexico (Oaxaca) * '' Maclura montana'' – China (Zhejiang) * '' Maclura orientalis'' – China (Zhejiang) * ''

Maclura pomifera ''Maclura pomifera'', commonly known as the Osage orange ( ), is a small deciduous tree or large shrub, native to the south-central United States. It typically grows about tall. The distinctive fruit, a multiple fruit that resembles an immatur ...

'' ( Raf.) C.K.Schneid. – Osage-orange;

* '' Maclura pubescens'' (Syn.: ''M. cochichinensis var. pubescens'') – China * '' Maclura spinosa'' – India to Sri Lanka * ''

Maclura tinctoria ''Maclura tinctoria'', known as old fustic and dyer's mulberry, is a medium to large tree of the Neotropics, from Mexico to Argentina. It produces a yellow dye called fustic primarily known for coloring khaki fabric for U.S. military apparel dur ...

'' ( L.) D.Don ex Steud. – Mexico to northern Argentina * '' Maclura tricuspidata'' (Syn.: ''Cudrania tricuspidata'', ''Cudrania triloba'') – China, Vietnam, and

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

Formerly placed here

* ''

Milicia excelsa ''Milicia excelsa'' is a tree species from the genus '' Milicia'' of the family '' Moraceae''. Distributed across tropical Central Africa, it is one of two species (the other being '' Milicia regia'') yielding timber commonly known as ọjị, Af ...

'' (as ''Maclura excelsa'') * '' Milicia regia'' (as ''Maclura regia'') * '' Broussonetia greveana'' (as ''Maclura greveana and Maclura humbertii'')

Etymology

The genus is named in honor of

William Maclure William Maclure (27 October 176323 March 1840) was an Americanized Scottish geologist, cartographer and philanthropist. He is known as the 'father of American geology'. As a social experimenter on new types of community life, he collaborated w ...

(1763-1840), a Scottish-born American geologist and educational reformer. President of the American Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia for 22 years. Maclure made major contributions to his field, including the first true

geological map A geological map or geologic map is a special-purpose map made to show various geological features. Rock (geology), Rock units or stratum, geologic strata are shown by color or symbols. Bed (geology), Bedding planes and structural features such ...

of any part of North America, and was a strong advocate of

universal education Universal access to education is the ability of all people to have equal opportunity in education, regardless of their social class, race, gender, sexuality, ethnic background or physical and mental disabilities. The term is used both in colle ...

, especially for women.

Fossil record

Fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

s similar to ''Maclura'' have been reported from the Middle

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

References

External links

Moraceae genera Dioecious plants {{Moraceae-stub