464 NEW ENGLAND TREES IN WINTER. 



HACKBERRY 

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



Celtis occidentalis L. 



HABIT — A small to medium sized tree 20-4o ft. in heig-ht with a trunk 

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

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

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

 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. 



IjKAF scars — Alternate, 2-ranked. small, semi-oval, placed at right 



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

 elongated, incom^picuous. BLINDLE-SCA RS — appearing as a single con- 

 fluent scar, evidently 'i in surface section. 



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

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

 Buds freciuently transfnrmed into insect galls (s^vell ings on twig 

 photographed). BUD-SCALES — 3-4 visible, closely overlapi)ing in two 

 ranks increasing in size from without inward, longitudinally striate if 

 viewed toward light, generally dark margined. 



FRl'IT — 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 rhambered pith readily 

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

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

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

 character. 



DISTRIBI'TIOX — 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 W'ells river; Vermont — along 

 Lake Champlain, not common; Norwich and Vi^indsor on the Connecti- 

 cut; Massachusetts — occasional throughout the state; Rhode Island — 

 common. 



IN CONNECTICUT — Occasional to frequent, especially in river valleys 

 and along the coast. 



AVOOD — Heavy, rather soft, not strong, coarse-grained, clear light 

 yellow, with thick lighter colored sap wood; largely used for fencing 

 and in the manufacture of cheap furniture. 



