PAPER
MULBERRY
(Broussonetia
Papyrifera)
(A
Project by Class V Students - SLS Montessori & School, Islamabad)
INTRODUCTION:
Paper mulberry is a deciduous tree (trees that lose
their leaves in winter) with milky sap
that grows to a maximum height of about 45 ft. (15 m.). The twigs of
paper mulberry are hairy reddish brown, the bark is tan and smooth to
moderately furrowed, the wood is soft and brittle, and it has conical
buds. The leaves are densely gray-pubescent, often lobed or
mitten-shaped, and are alternate, opposite or whorled along the stem.
The leaf margin is sharply toothed, the leaf base is heart-shaped to
rounded with pointed tips, and the upper leaf surface is rough feeling.
Separate male and female flowers appear in the spring. Male flower
clusters are elongate, pendulous, 2 ½ to 3 in. (6-8 cm) long,
and composed of many individual flowers. Female flowers are globular
and about 1 in. (2cm) in diameter. The fruits are reddish purple to
orange, ¾ - 1 in. (1.5-2.0 cm) in diameter, and appear in
summer. Paper mulberry may be confused with the exotic white mulberry
and native trees such as red mulberry, sassafras, basswood, and white
poplar.
 |
 |
| Paper
Mulberry's male and
female flowers are produced on separate trees. Male trees produce long
clusters of flowers in April. |
Female
trees produce bizarre ball-shaped flower clusters. These mature into
red ball-shaped aggregate fruits. |
Paper mulberry
exhibits aggressive growth and quickly invades disturbed lands,
displacing native plants. It has a shallow root system that makes the
trees susceptible to blow over during high winds. Paper mulberry spreads both by seed and
through vegetative expansion. The seeds are spread far and wide by
wildlife who feed on the fruits. Paper mulberry expands locally by
producing new plants from its roots.
Biological control is not currently available for this plant. Manual and mechanical methods either alone or
in combination with herbicide treatment are also possible.
POLLEN ALLERGY IN ISLAMABAD:
There is an alarming rise in the spread of
pollen allergy in the Federal Capital and its adjacent areas which
causes cough, asthma, skin and other related diseases. With the onset
of spring season, the number of allergy patients is increasing day by
day throughout the country. The main reason behind its spread is
increasing pollution in the environment and the pollen grains.
The allergy season lasts from late-February until early June, and again
from June to September.
 |
 |
Paper
Mulberry Pollen Grains
|
Paper
Mulberry Leaves |
However, for the last
six years, there has been persistence of
symptoms through summer because rather than shedding its pollens from
mid-March to mid-April, paper mulberry, the pollens of which are
scientifically proven to be the sole cause of life-threatening
respiratory allergies and asthmatic attacks, now flowers until July,
thereby prolonging the agony of patients beyond spring.
Specific tests prove that the sole cause of the
severe form of
respiratory allergy including asthma, in these seasons, are pollens
from male paper mulberry plants in late February till June, and pollens
from cannabis sativa (Bhang) in the rainy season from June till
September. These attacks often lead to hospital admissions, especially
late at night and when it rains.
There are three prescribed methods of treatment of
the disease i.e.
restricting the allergy patients from the things and environments which
cause them allergy; resort to normal cure and lastly, if the disease is
not cured yet, the third way of treating allergy is administration of
allergy vaccine called Immuno Therapy.
In the West,
pollen counts above 1,500 per cubic metre are termed ‘very
high’ and people dying of acute respiratory failure due to pollen
allergy is completely unheard of. That is why, when doctors search
medical literature for cutting of trees as a measure for prevention of
pollen allergy, they find none, as Islamabad is unique in its high
pollen counts.
When these trees were first introduced to the
pristine environment of
Islamabad, nobody knows. Many people believe Paper mulberry is an
established indigenous
plant of the subcontinent; it was a common forestation plant in Ravi
and Shahdara areas in the early 20th century; was locally procured and
first introduced in Islamabad in the 1960s.
According to studies, majority of the patients are
residents of the
older sectors. About 20 per cent of the households in Islamabad report
the
presence of allergic illnesses in some form or the other. Sixty-five
per cent of the seasonal asthmatic patients are females, 35 per cent
are males, 80 per cent are aged between 20 to 40 years, 10 per cent
below 20 years and 10 per cent more than 40 years. There is no data on
the number of deaths caused by pollen allergy available.
Those who suffer from
pollen allergies, should take
medications and wear masks, keep inhalers handy, avoid going
out for a stroll in the morning, and so on. The spring season of the
year makes them extremely miserable and inactive.
If one is sneezing, has a runny nose and eyes that
are itching, it is
probably a cause for alarm. It may be the symptoms of an on-setting
allergy. Further, if there is breathing problem and tightness in the
chest, it means the allergy is getting worse.
The allergy patients should see their doctors before
they fall sick.
Taking due measures well before hand may help things from getting
worse. However, there are many persons who suffer from breathing
problem and asthma with the onset of an allergy. Such patients should take inhalers as
inhalers are a safe form of treatment, as advised by the National
Institute of Health.
SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE PLANTS:
A wide variety of native
trees are available as substitutes for paper
mulberry, including basswood (Tilia heterophylla), sassafras (Sassafras
albidum), red maple (Acer rubrum), hackberry (Celtis
occidentalis), and black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), to name just
a few. Check with your local native plant society for species that are
suitable for your area.
REFERENCES:
Coile, N.C. 2001. A
Paper
on Mulberries and the Invasive Paper Mulberry. In: 16th Annual
Symposium, Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council, ed. anonymous. September
11-14, St. Augustine, p. 18. (abstract).
Flora of North
America.
Volume 3. Broussonetia papyrifera
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=104684
Kartesz, J.T. 1999.
A
Synonymized Checklist and Atlas with Biological Attributes for the
Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First
Edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North
American Flora, version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel
Hill, NC.
Langeland, K. and
R.
Stocker. 1997. Control of Non-native Plants in Natural Areas of
Florida. University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences.
Miller, Lorraine.
2000.
Paper Mullberry, Broussenetia papyrifera, Invasive Plant
Species. USDA Forest Service, Southern Region, National Forests in
Florida. Protection Report R8-PR 46.
Morgan, E.C. and
W.A.
Overholt. 2004. Wildland Weeds: Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia
payprifera).
Small, J.K. 1903.
Flora of
the Southeastern United States. Pub. by author, New York. 1370 pp.
Swearingen. J.
2004.
WeedUS: Database of Invasive Plants Affecting Natural Areas in the U.S.
(in progress) http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien
USDA GRIN-NPGS
Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent.USDA Plants Database
USDA, NRCS. 2004. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5
(http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA
70874-4490 USA.