710 



CELSIA 



CELTIS 



Only C. erotica, Linn, f., is known in Amer., and that 

 very sparingly. It is a hardy or half-hardy biennial, 

 with alternate Ivs., of which the lower are slightly pin- 

 nate and lanceolate, and the upper ovate-lanceolate, 

 toothed and clasping: fls. large (nearly 2 in. across), 

 and somewhat as in Antirrhinum, yellowish, with dark 

 markings in the center and conspicuous deflexed sta- 

 mens. Stout hairy plant, 3-6 ft. high, from Crete. 

 B.M. 964. A very showy plant well worth much 

 wider cult. See page 3566. 



C. pdntica, Hort. Has whitish Ivs. and pure white fls. 



N. TAYLOK.f 



CELTIS (ancient Latin name). Ulmdcese. NETTLE- 

 TREE. Woody subjects grown chiefly as shade or lawn 

 specimens. 



Trees or rarely shrubs, sometimes spiny: Ivs. alter- 

 nate, petiolate, stipulate, deciduous or persistent, usu- 

 ally oblique at the base and 3-nerved: fls. polygamous- 

 monoecious, inconspicuous, apetalous, 4-5-merous, axil- 

 lary, the staminate in small clusters on the lower part 

 of the branchlets, the fertile solitary in the axils of the 



868. Celtis occidentalis ( X Yz). (Detail 



Ivs. on the upper part of the branchlets, with a 1- 

 celled superior ovary crowned by a 2-parted style and 

 with 4-5 short stamens: fr. a 1 -seeded, small drupe, 

 edible in some species; embryo with broad cotyledons. 

 Seventy species in the temperate and tropical regions of 

 the northern hemisphere, of which a few hardy orna- 

 mental species are cult. 



The nettle-trees are valuable as shade trees or as 

 single specimens on the lawn, mostly with wide spread- 

 ing head and light green foliage, which is rarely seri- 

 ously injured by insects or fungi; they thrive in almost 

 any soil and even in dry situations; they are of vigor- 

 ous growth when young, and are easily transplanted. 

 The straight-grained wood is light and elastic, easily 

 divided, and much used for the manufacture of small 

 articles and for furniture; that of C. australis is valued 

 for carving. Propagated by seeds, sown after maturity; 

 also by layers and cuttings of mature wood in fall; 

 rarer kinds are sometimes grafted on C. occidentalis. 



A. Lvs. entire, or rarely with few teeth, thin, at 

 length glabrous. 



mississippiensis, Bosc (C. Isevigdta, Willd. C. integri- 

 fdlia, Nutt.). Tree, 60-80 ft. : Ivs. unequally rounded or 



cuneate at the base, oblong-lanceolate or ovate, acumi- 

 nate, usually falcate, smooth above, 2-4 in. long: fr. 

 orange-red, nearly globular, M m - thick, on slender 

 pedicel, longer than the petiole; stone pitted. From 8, 

 111. to Texas and Fla., west to Mo. S.S. 7:318. G.F. 

 3:41, figs. 9-11. Mn. 7:225, 227. 



AA. Lvs. serrate, sometimes entire and pubescent. 



B. Ovary andfr. glabrous. 

 c. Branchlets usually and Ivs. more or less pubescent, at 



least when young. 

 D. Fr.-stalks slender, longer than petioles: Ivs. usually 



rough above: stone pitted. 

 E. Under surface of Ivs. glabrous at maturity. 

 occidentalis, Linn. Fig. 868. Large tree, occasionally 

 120 ft.: branchlets glabrous or slightly pubescent: Ivs. 

 oblique and rounded at the base, ovate-acuminate, 

 pubescent when young, usually rough above, some- 

 times smooth at maturity, usually entire toward the 

 base, light green, 2-6 in. long: fr. orange-red, %-%in. 

 long, on slender pedicel, longer than the petiole. S.S. 

 7:317. G.F. 3:40 (adapted in Fig. 868) and 43. Em. 

 304. Mn. 7:231, 233. A.G. 20:240, 531. Very vari- 

 able species. Var. crassiffilia, Koch (C. crassifolia, 

 Lam.), has firm, very rough and large Ivs., to 5 in. long, 

 usually cordate at base and more strongly serrate. 

 Michx. Hist. Arb. 3:228. 



EE. Under surface of Ivs. pubescent. 



australis, Linn. Tree, to 60 ft.: Ivs. oblique, broadly 

 cuneate or rounded at the base, ovate-oblong, long- 

 acuminate, pubescent beneath, 23^-5 in. long: fr. 

 over 2/in. long, dark purple, sweet; pedicels 2-3 times 

 longer than the petioles. Medit. region to Persia. 

 H.W. 3:40, p. 11 Not hardy N. 



Helleri, Small. Tree, to 30 ft. : branchlets pubescent: 

 Ivs. ovate or ovate-oblong, obtuse or acute, truncate 

 to subcordate at the base, rough above, grayish and 



Eubescent or tomentose, and reticulate below, 2-3 in. 

 >ng: fr. J^in. thick, light brown, on pubescent pedicels 

 about J^in. long and rather stout. Texas. Sometimes 

 planted as a street tree in Texas. 



DD. Fr.-stalks rather stout, as long or slightly longer than 



petioles: Ivs. grayish green beneath: stone smooth. 

 sinensis, Pers. (C. japonica, Planch.). Tree, to 30 ft.: 

 Ivs. usually rounded or cordate at the base, broadly 

 ovate to oblong-ovate, acuminate, serrate-dentate, 

 pubescent when young, pale or glaucescent and promi- 

 nently reticulate beneath, 2-4 in. long: fr. dull orange- 

 red; pedicels rather stout, not much longer than the 

 petioles. China, Japan. S.I.F. 1:36. Has proved 

 hardy at the Arnold Arboretum. 



cc. Branchlets and Ivs. quite glabrous: stone smooth. 

 D. Foliage bluish or grayish green. 



Tournef6rtii, Lam. (C. orientdlis, Mill., not Linn.). 

 Tree, to 20 ft., or shrub: Ivs. ovate, acute, usually 

 rounded or subcordate at the base, 1^-3 in. long, of 

 firm texture, not reticulate, sometimes pubescent: fr. 

 reddish yellow, about M m - across, its stalk about as 

 long as petiole, Min. l n S or somewhat less. Greece, 

 Sicily and Asia Minor. Not quite hardy N.; attractive 

 on account of its bluish green foliage. 



DD. Foliage bright green, lustrous. 

 Bungeana, Blume. Tree: Ivs. usually rounded at the 

 base, ovate, acuminate, crenate-serrate, nearly glabrous 

 when young, green and shining on both sides, l%-2/4 

 in.: fr. purplish black, small; pedicels longer than the 

 petioles. N. China. Hardy, and a very distinct spe- 

 cies, with dark green and glossy foliage. 



BB. Ovary andfr. pubescent; subtropical, tender tree. 

 Kraussiana, Bernh. Tree: Ivs. oblong-ovate, usually 

 rounded at the base, acuminate, crenate-serrate, pubes- 



