[1] The generic name is derived from the Latin words morus "mulberry", from the appearance of the fruits, and indica, meaning "of India".

[3] Distributed in all tropical regions of the world, Morinda includes 80 species of trees, shrubs or vines.

[4] Most species of this genus originate in the area of Borneo, New Guinea, Northern Australia and New Caledonia.

In traditional Japanese, Korean and Chinese medicine, Morinda citrifolia is considered to be a herb with biological properties, although there is no confirmed evidence of clinical efficacy.

[5] The first fossil record for genus Morinda is from fruit of Morinda chinensis found in coal dated from the Eocene 56 to 33.9 million years ago in the Changchang Basin of Hainan Island, South China.