358 



The Hackberries 



short-pointed or bluntish, toothed, or sometimes nearly or quite entire-margined, 

 the base usually more or less cordate; they are bright green and roughish on the 

 upper surface, hghter green and somewhat hairy beneath, at least on the veins; the 

 leaf-stalks are short, stout, hairy. The fruit varies in color from red-purple to 

 yellowish, is globular, 6 to 8 mm. in diameter and usually more than one half as 

 long as its usually short stalk, which equals or exceeds the subtending leaf-stalk 

 in length. 



7. THICK-LEAVED HACKBERRY — Celtds reticulata Torrey 



This is a small tree, perhaps never over 15 meters high, and grows in rocky or 

 gravelly soil, especially along rivers, from Kansas to Texas, Colorado, Nevada, 



Arizona, and southern California, and is 

 reported as extending into Lower CaJi- 

 fomia. 



The bluish-gray bark has many corky 

 warts or ridges, which are sometimes 3 

 cm. high. The young twigs vary from 

 quite hairy to nearly or quite smooth; 

 they are green at first, but early become 

 brown. The leaves are thick, strongly 

 netted-veined, with the veins impressed 

 on the upper surface and prominent on 

 the lower; they are 7 cm. long or less, 

 ovate, pointed, bright green, and either 

 very rough or nearly smooth above, pale 

 green and hairy on the imderside; their 

 margins vary from nearly or quite entire 

 to strongly toothed ; the rather stout leaf- 

 stalks are from 4 to 10 mm. in length. 

 The fruit is red, globular, 8 to 12 mm. in diameter, its stalk usually much longer 

 than the subtending petiole of the leaf. It is also called Palo Blanco and simply 

 Hackberry, in Texas. The wood is very similar to that of the eastern Hackberry, 

 but heavier; its specific gravity being about 0.72. 



Fig. 317. — Thick-leaved Hackbeny. 



8. HELLER'S HACKBERRY — Celtis HeUeri Small 



Heller's hackberry grows in dry soil in southern Texas, sometimes occurring 

 in woods; it is a tree with a maximum observed height of about 10 meters and a 

 trunk diameter of 1.5 meters and has widely spreading branches. 



The bark has numerous corky warts. The young twigs are slender and hairy, 

 becoming smooth and brown. The leaves are rather firm in texture, ovate to 

 oblong-ovate or oblong-lanceolate, 4 to 9 cm. long, pointed or blunt, toothed, at 



