Maclura
(named in honour of W. Maclure, a North American naturalist, who died in 1840). ORD. Urticaceae. A monotypic genus. The species is a hardy, deciduous, milky-juiced tree. For culture, &c., see Morus. M. aurantiaca (golden).* Bow-wood; Osage Orange. fl. yellowish-green, inconspicuous. fr. from 3in. to 5in. in diameter, bright golden-yellow. l. ovate, acuminate, bright shiny green, cuspidate, 3in. to 3 1/2in. long, and 2in. broad. h. 20ft. North America, 1818. An excellent plant for forming hedges, being armed with stout spines.
M. tricuspidata (three-cusped). fl. axillary. l. three-lobed while young, roundish-ovate in adults. China, 1872. An ornamental, hardy, deciduous tree, remarkable from its juvenile (non-flowering) state exhibiting such a contrast to the adult (flowering) state. This plant is Cudrania triloba; but, as it was omitted in Vol. I. of this work, and is so well known under the name given it by Carriere it is included here. In China, the leaves are used for feeding silk-works, and the wood yields a yellow dye.