CHAP. CI. 



ULMACEIE. CE'LTfS. 



1113 



Commercial Stnlktics. In Enjilish nurseries, the plants, being little known, 

 are sold for 2.i. Gd. each, and upwards; but, if in demand, the price would not 

 be higher than that of grafted elms, or about l*. each. At BoUwyller, plants 

 are 1 franc 50 cents each. 



t 2. P. GmeYin/ Michx. Gmelin's Planera. 



Identification. Michx. FI. Eor. Amer., 2. p. 248. ; Desf. Hist, des Arbres et Arbriss., 2. p. 446. 

 Si/nont/mes. P. wlmifblia M/c/ir. Arh. Amer., 3. p. 283. t. 7 , North Amcr. Si/lva, 3. p. 100. t. 130., N. 

 ■ Dii Hmn. Arb., 7. p. 65. t. 21. ; P. aqiiatica Willd. Sp. P/., 4. p. 967., Purs/t Ft. Amcr. Sept., 1. 



p. 115. ; Aiioiiymus aquaticus arbor, &c., JValt. Carol., 230. 

 Engravings. Michx. Arb. Amer., t. 7. ; North Amer. Sylva, 3. t. 130. ; Du Ham. Arb., ed. nov., 7. 



t. 21. ; and our^^'. 1251. 



Sjjec. Char.^Sfc. Flowers in heads, opening before the leaves are protruded, 

 and borne on branches or branchlets developed in some previous year. 

 Leaf with an obvious petiole, and a disk ovate-acuminate, equal at the base, 

 and serrate. A shrub, or low tree, even in 

 its native country, rarely more than 20 ft. 

 or 30 ft. high, and with the diameter of the 

 trunk from 12 in. to loin. The flowers 

 appear before the leaves, at the ends of the 

 branches, in globose heads, and upon very 

 short footstalks : they are small, of a green- 

 ish brown colour, and not at all conspi- 

 cuous. The fruit becomes brown before the 

 leaves fall : it is small, oval, inflated, and 

 rough : the seed is minute. The leaf is 

 nuich smaller than that of P. Richard/, and 

 resembles that of fJ'lmus campestris, except 

 in being serrated with equal teeth ; it is of 

 a lively green on the upper surface, and grey 

 on the under one. This species is a native 

 of North America, where it is found in 

 Kentucky, Tennessee, the banks of the 

 Mississippi, and throughout the southern 

 states. It is particularly abundant in the 

 large swamps on the borders of the river 

 Savannah in Georgia. The wood of this 

 tree, according to Michaux, "is hard, strong, and seemingly proper for 

 various uses." It is, however, not used for any purpose in America ; and 

 the tree is so little esteemed, that it has not received any popular name. 

 It was introduced into Britain in 1816, but is rare in collections; though 

 it might be readily multiplied by grafting on the elm. There are plants at 

 Messrs. Loddiges's, The price, in New York, is 1 dollar per |)lant. 



? P. .Abelicea Schiiltcs {Room, et Schult. Si/st. f'eg., 6. p. 304., the Abelicea of Clusius) is supposed 

 to belong to this genus. It is described by Clusius as being a large upright tree, with a branchy head, 

 roundish deeply serrated leaves, and greenish black fruit, about the size of a grain of pepper. The 

 wood is hard, reddish, and possesses somewhat of the fragrance of sandal wood. It is a native of 

 Crete, on the mountains ; but has not yet been introduced. 



Genus III. 



n 



CE'LTIS To7irn. The Cei.tis, o?- Nettle Tree. Lin. Sj/.ft. Polygamia 

 Monoe^cia, or Pentandria Digynia. 



Identification. Tourn. quoted by T. Nees ab Esenbeck, in his Ocn. PI. Fl. Germ., fasc. 3. t. 4. 



Synonymes. I,6tus of Lobel and other authors ; Micocoulier, i^c. ; Ziingelbaum, O'lV. 



Derivation. The name of Celtis is said to refer to the tree having been known to the ancient Celts ; 



and the appellation of Nettle Tree relates to the similarity of the leaves to those of some kind of 



nettle ( t'rtlca). 



Description. Handsome, much branched, deciduous trees, natives of 

 Europe and North America, varying in size and foliage, but all bearing fruit, 



4 z 4 



