( 122) 



for ornament but is not known to have established itself as a 

 wild element in our native flora. 



Hackberry Celtis occidentalis 



In the Hudson Valley this is not a common tree and fre- 

 quently escapes notice as there it never attains its full dimen- 

 sions ; but further south and west it becomes 60 feet in height. 

 The rough, often corky-winged bark is gray-brown and be- 

 comes scaly when old. The smooth leaf-blades are 2 to 4 

 inches long, oval in outline, with a fine-pointed tip, and a 

 rounded or heart-shaped, inequilateral base. Sometimes 

 there are marginal teeth and sometimes the margins are quite 

 smooth. Just as the leaves unfold the small greenish flowers 

 come out, usually at the base of a leaf-stalk. They sub- 

 sequently develop into a fruit which is berry-like, but has a 

 hard bony stone. The outside skin of the fruit may be red, 

 or orange, but more frequently black. 



In the Hudson Valley the hackberry is of little commercial 

 importance as its scarcity precludes regular supply. Geo- 

 graphically the tree has a wide range, extending from the 

 Atlantic coast to the Great Plains. 



Rough-leaved Hackberry Celtis crassifolia 



The rough-leaved hackberry is more rare than the common 

 kind. Very few trees are known to occur in the Hudson 

 Valley, but one good specimen occurs along the east bank of 

 the river at the southern end of the Highlands. The tree 

 may be distinguished from the common hackberry by its 

 rough leaf-surface. In other respects it is closely related to 

 the preceding species. 



Red Mulberry Morus rubra 



This is the only native mulberry that grows in the Hudson 

 Valley. The Old World white mulberry, so much grown 

 for the silkworm industry, occurs only as an occasional escape 

 from cultivation. The native species is a tree from 60 to 80 

 feet in height, with a trunk diameter of 3 to 4 feet. The 

 long-fissured bark often splits off in plates. 



