This Southwest Asian tree has been cultivated for its fruit since antiquity, but it does not appear to be hardy in most of North America (K; A. Whittemore, pers. comm.). Although occasionally suspected in Ky., there are no verified colls.; the cluster of 3 records mapped by K from Ky., Ohio and W.Va. appears to be based on misidentified colls. of A. Cusick (at NCU and elsewhere). M. nigra differs from alba and rubra (Whittemore 2006) in its styles, which are relatively long (ca. 3-5 mm versus 1-2 mm) and densely covered with white hairs (versus glabrous or nearly so); fruits are purple-black to black (versus purple-black to red to white), short-cylindric, 1.4-2.2 cm long (versus cylindric to subspherical, 0.6-1.9 cm); larger leaf blades are reniform-triangular to suborbicular (versus ovate to triangular-ovate), and mostly unlobed (versus lobed at least on young shoots). Its leaf pubescence is generally intermediate between alba and rubra: lower surfaces have hairs along midveins, laterals and often minor veins; upper surfaces are usually deep green (not glossy), more rugose, and scabrid to glabrous. There are several polyploid races, with 2n up to ca. 304-308 (versus usually 28 in rubra and alba).