Scientific Name: Pipturus argenteus
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Pronunciation:pip−TEW−rus ar-JEN-tee-us
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Common Name:Native Mulberry
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Type:
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Family:URTICACEAE
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Flowers:Tiny flowers arranged along 5cm flower spikes. Male and female flowers on separate plants (dioecious).
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Fruit:Succulent white fruit to 6mm
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Vegetation Type:Rainforest
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Species List:Bush food, Craft,
Cultural Notes
TAKE CARE! Some information about bush foods and medicines may be anecdotal. Correct identification and preparation is essential:
Source of fibre.
Bush food: sweet, juicy fruit edible. Young leaves cooked and eaten by abororigines in New Guinea.
Brown dye obtained from bark.
Identification Notes
White fruit to 6mm on female plants is fleshy, mulberry-like, very sweet. Leaves glossy 6-15 cm long and toothed/serrated, white and hairy below.
Associated Fauna
Butterfly host plant: White nymph, Jezabel Nymph, Speckled Lineblue, Common Grass Yellow||Eagerly sought after by many birds. It is a foodplant of the White Nymph butterfly.(SGAP)
Landscaping Notes
Ornamental, bushy shrub or small tree producing sweet fruits. Prefers a sheltered sunny to partly shaded site with adequate moisture. As plants are either male or female, more than one plant may be required to ensure production of fruit.