330 TREES IN" WINTER 



HACKBERRY 



Sugar Berry, Nettle Tree, False Elm, Hoop Ash. 



Celtis occidentalis L. 



HABIT — A small to medium sized tree 20-45 ft. in height with a trunk 

 diameter up to 2 ft., reaching- over 100 ft, in height further south; 

 rather variable in habit, generally forming a flattish to round-topped 

 wide-spreading, oblong head with somewhat the aspect of an Elm; 

 branches numerous, horizontal or slightly drooping, more or less zigzag; 

 spray slender; berry-like fruit generally persistent throughout the 

 winter. 



BARK — Grayish-brown, on trunk and older limbs roughened with 

 narrow projecting ridges which are sometimes reduced to warts or are 

 almost entirely lacking. 



TAVIGS — Slender, somewhat zigzag, brownish, more or less shining, 

 more or less downy; wood of twigs light greenish yellow when 

 moistened. LENTICELS — scattered, raised and more or less elongated 

 longitudinally. PITH — white, finely chambered. 



L.EAF-SCARS — Alternate, 2-ranked, small, semi-oval, placed at right 

 angles to the twig on a projecting cushion. STIPULE-SCARS — present, 

 elongated, inconspicuous. BUNDLE-SCARS — appearing as a single con- 

 fluent scar, evidently 3 in surface section. 



BUDS — Small, 6mm. or generally under in length, downy, chestnut 

 brown, ovate, sharp-pointed, flattened, appressed; terminal bud absent. 

 Buds frequently transformed into insect galls (swellings on left hand 

 twig). BUD-SCALES — 3-4 visible, closely overlapping in two ranks in- 

 creasing in size from without inward, longitudinally striate if viewed 

 toward light, generally dark margined. 



FRUIT — A small purplish, more or less spherical stone-fruit on long, 

 slender stems. 7-10 mm. in diameter, often remaining on tree throughout 

 winter. Flesh edible, sweet as is also the seed inside the stone. 



COMPARISONS — The Hackberry is often taken for an Elm. The warts 

 or narrow ridges on its bark, however, and its chambered pith readily 

 distinguish it from the Elm if the berry-like fruit which is generally 

 present fails to be found. The twigs are so frequently disfigured by 

 insect galls that their presence might almost be given as a distinguishing 

 character. 



DISTRIBUTION — In divers situations and soils; woods, river banks, 

 near salt marshes. Province of Quebec to Lake of the Woods, occa- 

 sional; south to the Gulf states; west to Minnesota and Missouri. 



IN NEW ENGLAND — Maine — not reported; New Hampshire — sparingly 

 along the Connecticut valley, as far as Wells river; Vermont — along 

 Lake Champlain, not common; Norwich and Windsor on the Connecti- 

 cut; Massachusetts — occasional throughout the state; Connecticut — Oc- 

 casional to frequent, especially in river valleys and along the coast; 

 Rhode Island — common. 



W^OOD — Heavy, rather soft, not strong, coarse-grained, clear light 

 yellow, with thick lighter colored sapwood; largely used for fencing 

 and the manufacture of cheap furniture. 



