A pedominantly tropical family, with only one native species in Michigan, the rare tree Morus rubra. 

1. Leaves entire, unlobed, definitely pinnately veined; stems with axillary thorns; fruit spherical, green (to yellow when fully ripe), orange-like in external appearance but scarcely fleshy, nearly or fully 1 dm in diameter.

Maclura

1. Leaves toothed, sometimes lobed, ± palmately veined, 3 (-5) strong lateral veins arising with the midrib from summit of the petiole; stems unarmed; fruit various, cylindric, nearly spherical, or urn-like, but not orange-like in size and shape and less than 5 cm long.

2. Plant herbaceous, annual, tap-rooted; fruits nearly spherical, composed of achenes surrounded by persistent, enlarged but dry calyx lobes.

Fatoua

2. Plant woody (a die-back shrub in the case of Ficus); fruits fleshy, cylindric or urn-shaped.

3. Terminal buds enclosed by 2 stipules, the stipule scar encircling the stem; fruits a fleshy, urn-like receptacle with flowers and nutlets borne on the inner surface (syconium or fig).

Ficus

3. Terminal buds with several bud scales, stipule scars not encircling the stem; fruits cylindrical, formed of achenes surrounded by the fleshy fused calyx.

Morus