328 CELTI& 



C. CAUCASICA, Willdenow. CAUCASIAN NETTLE-TREE. 



A medium-sized tree with a greyish trunk and limbs, and a bushy head of 

 branches ; young shoots downy. Leaves obliquely ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 

 slenderly (often rather abruptly) pointed, coarsely toothed ; 2$ to 4 ins. long, 

 broadly wedge-shaped at the base ; upper surface covered when young with 

 short, bristle-like hairs which mostly fall away, leaving it slightly rough ; 

 lower surface covered at first with softer down, most of which also falls 

 away except on the midrib and veins ; stalk downy, ^ to ^ in. long. Fruit 

 in. diameter, yellow, borne on a slender stalk about I in. long. 



Native of Afghanistan, N. India, Caucasus, etc. ; raised at Kew from seed 

 sent from Afghanistan by the late Dr Aitchison when he was attached 

 to the Delimitation Commission (1884-5). It * s ver Y closely allied to 

 C. australis, but is evidently a much hardier tree, and far better adapted 

 for cultivation in the south of England. It differs from that species in its 

 comparatively shorter, broader leaves with less drawn-out points, less downy, 

 and usually more coarsely toothed. 



C. DAVIDIANA, Carriere. 



A small tree 20 ft. or perhaps more high, forming a rounded, bushy head ; 

 young shoots slightly downy at first, becoming smooth by autumn. Leaves 

 ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 2 to 3^ ins. long, I to if ins. wide ; rounded, unequal 

 sided, and three-nerved at the base ; taper-pointed, with a few remote teeth 

 towards the apex only, sometimes almost entire ; dark glossy green and smooth 

 above, paler and glossy beneath, with small tufts of down in the lower vein- 

 axils ; stalk \ to \ in. long, slightly downy. Fruits egg-shaped, black, on 

 slender stalks f in. long. 



Native of N. China in mountainous regions ; also found by Henry in the 

 mountains of Hupeh. It was introduced to Kew in 1882, by means of seed 

 sent by the late Dr Bretschneider, and collected on the hills north of Pekin. 

 It is extremely rare in cultivation, but is a striking and handsome species, 

 very distinct in its lustrous, almost quite smooth leaves. (See also C. glabrata.) 

 It has not borne fruit in this country yet, but a tree raised from seed sent by 

 the Abbe David to the Jardin des Plantes at Paris in 1868, bore, fruit there 

 in 1894. 



There has recently (in 1910) been introduced a nettle-tree under the name 

 of C. SINENSIS, Persoon, similar in the hard texture and very glossy upper 

 surface of its leaves to C. Davidiana, but its young shoots are clothed with 

 minute hairs and the obliquely ovate leaves are conspicuously toothed towards 

 the apex. The two are closely allied. Native of Japan and China. 



C. GLABRATA, Steven. 



A small tree 'or shrub with a rounded head of branches ; young shoots 

 furnished at first with minute scattered down, becoming quite smooth later. 

 Leaves obliquely ovate ; I to i\ ins. long, to if ins. wide ; markedly 

 unequal-sided at the base, being usually rounded on one side the stalk and 

 tapered on tile' other ; the apex pointed ; margins set with large, incurved 

 teeth except near the base ; upper surface dark green, not downy, but covered 

 with minute warts which render it rough ; lower surface paler and smooth, 

 except for scattered minute bristles on the veins, only visible under the lens. 

 Fruits globose, reddish brown, \ in. diameter, on stalks \ to I in. long. 



Native of the Caucasus and Asia Minor ; introduced to Kew from Van 

 Volxem's nursery in 1870. The species had no doubt been introduced to 

 cultivation by the late Jean Van Volxem, who had collected plants in the 

 Caucasus about ten years previously. It is distinct from the other species 



