Paper Mulberry

Description:

A paper mulberry photographed while on a walk. The paper mulberry is also known as the tapa cloth tree. Paper mulberry has a fascinating history. Originally used as a bark cloth tree by ancient Austronesian peoples, and gives credence to the Taiwanese origin point for these people's expansion and their descendants due to genetic studies of the plant's lineage.The paper mulberry is considered the widest traveled fiber cloth in pre-history, covering the entire Austronesian expansion.

Habitat:

Native to Asia, this plant is widely cultivated and has been introduced to the United States, Europe, and Africa.