Maclura
Temporal range: (Molecular clock)
M. pomifera foliage and fruit
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Moraceae
Tribe: Maclureae
Genus: Maclura
Nutt.[1]
Species

See text

Maclura is a genus of flowering plants in the mulberry family, Moraceae. It includes the inedible Osage orange, which is used as mosquito repellent and grown throughout the United States as a hedging plant.[2] It is dioecious, with male and female flowers borne on separate plants.[3]

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.[4]

Species

Etymology

The genus is named in honor of William Maclure (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 of any part of North America, and was a strong advocate of universal education, especially for women.

Formerly placed here

Fossil record

Fossils similar to Maclura have been reported from the Middle Eocene of England.[5]

References

  1. "Maclura Nutt". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 16 January 2009. Archived from the original on 15 January 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  2. Burton, J D (1990). "Maclura pomifera". In Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H. (eds.). Hardwoods. Silvics of North America. Washington, D.C.: United States Forest Service (USFS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Vol. 2. Retrieved 3 March 2009 via Southern Research Station.
  3. C.C., Berg; Corner, E.J.H.; Jarrett, F.M. (2006). Moraceae - Genera other than Ficus. 1. Vol. 17. pp. 1–152. ISBN 9789071236648. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. Gardner, Elliot M.; Sarraf, Paya; Williams, Evelyn W.; Zerega, Nyree J.C. (December 2017). "Phylogeny and biogeography of Maclura (Moraceae) and the origin of an anachronistic fruit". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 117: 49–59. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2017.06.021. PMID 28698111.
  5. "Broussonetia – Maclura clade, and its probable ancestral area… – Figure 2". Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2023.

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