Celtis.] LXVII. URTICACILE. 429 



In the North-West Himalaya churn-sticks are made of it, and it is used as fuel 

 and for charcoal. The wood of the European Celtis varies much in weight sp. 

 grav. 0.66-0.88 (41 to 54 lb.) though not so much as the wood of the Ash, which 

 also has a continuous belt of large pores in the spring wood. In the south of 

 France it is cultivated extensively in coppice-woods ; oars, hoops, whip-handles, 

 and similar articles requiring tenacity and elasticity, are made of it. In the 

 Himalaya it is chiefly planted for shade and fodder, and the winter supply of 

 hay is often stored in its branches. The bark is used for sandals (Cleghorn). 

 The fruit is insipidly sweet and has not much flesh. It is eaten : a larger, 

 blackish or dark purple kind is called roku on the Sutlej ; a smaller, yellow or 

 orange kind, choku. 



Aitchison (Cat. 139) notes C. caucasica, Willd., from the Jhelam, the Salt 

 range, Kashmir, Kamaon, and (cultivated) Sindh. My opinion is that all the 

 Celtis of North-West India with glabrous fruit belong to one species, which 

 I identify with 0. australis, L. 



C. eriocarpa, Decaisne in Jacq. Voy. Bot. t. 152, from Kamaon, differs from 

 C. australis by ovate-lanceolate leaves and a pubescent ovary and drupe, but it 

 seems doubtful whether it is specifically distinct. Stewart identifies this with 

 C. Acata, Hamilton, and gives its distribution and vernacular names as follows : 

 Eastern skirts of the Suliman range trans -Indus. Salt range 2000-3000 ft. 

 Himalaya from the Indus south-eastward, ascending to 4500 ft., Kamaon, Nepal, 

 and Oudh. Vern. Tagha, Afg. ; Batkar, bat taman, Pb. ; Akata (whence the 

 specific name), katdia, Hindi. 



C. Roxburghii, Planch. Syn. C. trinervia, Roxb. Fl. Ind. ii. 65 (not Lam., 

 which is a West Indian species), has subcoriaceous, ovate, acuminate, almost 

 glabrous leaves, entire or dentate near the apex, fertile flowers often in pairs 

 (on slender axillary racemes, Dalz. Bomb. Fl. 238). South India, Bengal, Burma. 

 Dr Stewart states that this species is found (rare) in the Siwalik tract of the 

 Pan jab and Kamaon, also (not common) in the Central Provinces, and gives the 

 following vernacular names : Kharak, batkar, brumaj, brundu, Pb. ; Cheri 

 chara, kathunidr, C.P. I have not seen specimens from N.W. and Central India. 



In the xvii. vol. of De Candolle's Prodromus, Planchon refers the Celtis of 

 North- West India to the following species : 



1. C caucasica, Willd. Leaves oblique- or rhomboid-oblong-ovate, acumin- 

 ate, triplinerved. Stipules linear, longer than petioles of young leaves, ovary 

 slightly pubescent at the base of the style ; kernel slightly reticulate. Cauca- 

 sus, North Persia, Cabul, Beluchistan, Salt range, Kashmir. 



2. C. eriocarpa, Decaisne. Leaves lanceolate ; drupes grey - tomentose. 

 Panjab. 



3. C. tetrandra, Roxb. Leaves subcoriaceous, ovate or ovate-oblong cuspi- 

 date, with an unequal-sided base, triplinerved, drupe wholly glabrous, kernel 

 slightly rugose. Kamaon, Nepal, Silhet, Nilgiris (" common, vern. A dona "), 

 and to this species he refers the following as synonymous : 1. C. glabra, Planch. 

 Kamaon. 2. C- serotina, Planch., Wight Ic. t. 1970. 3. C. Acata, Hamilton 

 in Trans. Soc. Linn. xvii. 201. Bengal, Behar. 4. C. nepalensis, Planchon. 

 Kamaon, Tenasserim, Andamans. He does not say that he identifies with it 

 5. C. Roxburghii, Planch. Ann. Sc. Nat. iii. series x. 302 (C. trinervia, Roxb.), 

 but seems to imply that it belongs to this species (Prodr. xvii. 179). 



12. SPONIA, Comm. 



Trees with alternate 3-nerved serrate leaves. Flowers monoicous, in 

 axillary cymes. Perianth persistent, tube short, limb of 5 segments, con- 

 cave, induplicate in bud, slightly overlapping, nearly valvate. Stamens 



