﻿Trcca of New York State 207 



ULMACEAE 



Celtis oeeidentalis L. | Celtis c:inin;i Eaf.] 



Hackberry, Sugarberry 



Habit — In our range usually, a small tree 20-60 feet in height \\'ith a trunk 

 diameter of V^-- feet, attaining its maximum size of 130 feet in the rich 

 alluvial soils of the Ohio basin. In the open the trunk is short, breaking 

 up 8-10 feet above the ground into stout spreading limbs to form a bushy, 

 ovoid or oblong^ round-topped head comparable to that of the Sugar ]\[aple. 



Leaves — Alternate, broadly ovate and somewhat falcate, 2^-4 inches long. 

 1-2 inches w-ide, acuminate at the apex, rounded and inequilateral at the 

 base, coarsely serrate except at the ends, 3-ribbed, at maturity thin, lus- 

 trous, smooth or scabrous and light green ANnth sunken veins above, paler 

 and glabrous or somewhat hairy on the prominent veins beneath, borne on 

 slender, hairy petioles %-% of an inch long. 



Flowers — Appearing in May with the leaves, polygamo-monoecious, the 

 staminate cymose from flower-buds at the base of the groArth of the season, 

 the perfect and pistillate solitary or in few-flowered fascicles from the 

 axils of the upper leaves. Calyx pale yelloA\-ish green, divided nearly to 

 the base into 5 linear, acute, scarious lobes. Stamens in sterile flower 

 inserted marginally on the white-tomentose receptacle. Filaments incurved 

 above the middle before anthesis, bearing proximal, oblong, emarginate 

 anthers, straightening abruptly and catapulting the pollen as the flower 

 opens. Stamens in perfect flower shorter -nith slightly curved filaments 

 and anthers equal to or slightly exceeding the cah-x-lobes. similar in 

 anthesis. Pistil consisting of a sessile, green, lustrous, 1-celled, ovate 

 ovary surmounted by a short, sessile style diAndmg into 2 broadly diverg 

 ent lobes white papillate and stigmatic on their inner surface. 



Fruit — A tliick-skinned. 1-seeded, subglobose or oblong, long-stalked, dark 

 purple, diw drupe, about % of an inch long, tipped by the persistent style, 

 maturing in the autumn and persisting into the winter. Flesh thin, dry, 

 orange-colored. Xutlet oblong-oval, thick-walled, apiculate, light brown. 



Winter characters — Twigs slender, somewhat zigzag, glabrous or puberulous. 

 semi-lustrous, reddish brown, at length dark reddish brown. Terminal 

 bud absent. Lateral buds ovate, acute, closely appressed and flattened, 

 pubescent. chestnut-broAvn, about % of an inch long. Mature bark thick, 

 grayish brown, scaly at the surface, often roughened by characteristic, 

 irregular, wart-like excrescences. 



Habitat — Attains its best development in the deep alluvial soils of river bot- 

 toms but thrives on gravelly and stony upland sites, especially limestdue 

 outcrops. Widely scattered and usually solitary. 



Range — Southern Quebec, westward to eastern Washington and Oregon, 

 southward to Florida, eastern Texas. Xew Mexico and Nevada. Bare and 

 widelv scattei'od in the east through the agencv of birds. Zones A, B. 

 and C. 



Uses — Of no economic importance in Xew York State because of its scarcity. 

 Wood rather soft, heavy, not strong, coarse-grained, pale yellow A\ith wide 

 sa])wood. Used for cheap furniture, boxes, slack cooperage and fencing. 



