NETTLE FAMILY. 387 



smooth. Immensely variable under cultivation, and known under many 

 names. The CORK ELM, U. SUBEROSA, is a form of this species with 

 thick plates of cork on the branches. 



*- *- Flowers soon hanging on slender stalks, which are jointed above the 

 middle; fruit ovate or oval, with 2 sharp teeth at apex, the margin 

 downy-ciliate, at least when young. 



U. Americana, Linn. AMERICAN or WHITE ELM. Well known large 

 tree, with long ascending branches gradually spreading, drooping slender 

 branchlets, which are smooth as well as the buds, not corky ; the abruptly 

 pointed leaves 2'-4' long ; flowers in close clusters, with usually 7-9 calyx 

 lobes and stamens ; fruit smooth except the margins, its incurved points 

 closing the notch. The tree is very variable in habit of growth. Forms 

 of it are known as ROCK ELM and WATER ELM. (Lessons, Fig. 80.) 



U. racemdsa, Thomas. CORKY WHITE ELM, ROCK ELM of some 

 eastern communities. Resembles the foregoing, but with downy-ciliate 

 bud scales ; branches becoming corky, young branchlets somewhat pubes- 

 cent, leaves with straighter veins, and flowers racemed. Vt.,'S. and W. 



U. alata, Michx. WHAHOO or WINGED ELM. Va. to Mo. and S. ; 

 small tree, with bud scales and branchlets nearly smooth, winged plates 

 of cork on the branches, and small thickish leaves (l'-2' long) almost 

 sessile. 



2. PLANERA, PLANER TREE. (J. J. Planer, a German botanist.) 

 Flowers greenish, appearing with the leaves in early spring. 



P. aquatica, Gmel. AMERICAN P. River swamps, from Ky., S. and 

 W.; small tree ; leaves ovate-oblong, smooth ; fruit stalked in the calyx, 

 beset with irregular warts or crests. 



3. CELTIS, HACKBERRY or NETTLE TREE. (Ancient Greek 

 name for the Lotus berry.} Flowers spring; fruit ripe in autumn, 

 eatable. 



C. occidentalis, Linn. AMERICAN H. Small or middle-sized tree, of 

 rich low grounds ; with reticulated, ovate and taper-pointed, serrate or 

 entire leaves, oblique or partly heart-shaped at base, sweet thin-fleshed 

 fruit as large as a pea. Var. pumila, a straggling bush, chiefly S., only 

 4-10 high. 



4. CANNABIS, HEMP. (The ancient Greek name.) Flowers all 

 summer. 



C. sat)va, Linn. COMMON HEMP. Tall coarse plant from the Old 

 World ; cult, for the fibers of its stem, and spontaneous in moist yards. 



5. HUMULUS, HOP. (Name obscure.) Flowers summer. 11 



H. Lfcpulus, Linn. COMMON HOP. Wild in alluvial soil N. Eng., W., 

 and also cult, from Eu. for hops ; the aromatic bitterness resides in the 

 yellow resinous grains which appear on the fruiting calyx, akenes, etc.; 

 stems almost prickly downwards ; leaves heart-shaped and strongly 3-7- 

 lobed. 



6. FICUS, FIG. (The Latin, altered from the Greek name of the 



Fig.) 



F. Cfirica, Linn. COMMON FIG. Cult, from the Levant, as a house- 

 plant N. ; leaves broad, 3-5-lobed, roughish above, rather downy beneath ; 

 figs single in the axils, pear-shaped, luscious. (Lessons, Figs. 405-407.) 



