OF FOREST-TREES. 



63 



immortal, growing to a vast tree, where it comes spontaneously ; but its chap, 

 fruit seems not so tempting as it is storied it was to the companions ^-'^^ 

 of Ulysses. The first who brought the Lotus out of Virginia, was the 

 late industrious Tradescant. Of this wood are made pipes and wind- 



flower generally at the same place, the male flowers being situated above the others : these 

 have no petals, but a green herbaceous empalement, so make no figure ; they come out in 

 the spring, at the same time when the leaves make their first appearance, and generally 

 decay before the leaves have grown to half their size. After the flowers are past, the germen 

 of the hermaphrodite flowers becomes a round berry, about the size of a large pea, which is 

 black when ripe. 



2. CELTIS ( occiDENTALis J foliis oblique ovatis, serratis, acuminatis. Lin. Sp. PI. 1478. 

 Netlle-iree mith oblique, mal-pointed leaves, which are sawed on their edges. Celtis fructu 

 obscure purpurascente. Mill. Diet. Lote-tree with a dark purple fruit. Lotus Arbor 

 Virginiana, fructu rubro. Rail Hist. 1917- The occidental nettle-tree. 



This grows naturally in North America, and delights in a moist, rich soil, in which it becomes 

 a very large tree. It rises with a straight stem, which in young trees is smooth and of a dark 

 colour, but as they advance, it becomes rougher, and of a lighter green. The branches are 

 much diffused on every side, and are garnished with oblique oval leaves, ending in points, 

 and sawed on their edges ; they are placed alternately on the branches, with pretty long 

 foot-stalks. The flowers come out opposite to the leaves upon pretty long foot-stalks, the 

 male flowers standing above the hermaphrodite, as in the other species ; after these decay, 

 the hermaphrodite flowers are succeeded by roundish berries, which are smaller than those 

 of the first sort, and when ripe, are of a dark purple colour. This tree flowers in May, and 

 the seeds ripen in October. Of this sort there are several pretty large trees in the English 

 gardens, some of which produce great quantities of fruit annually, which, in favourable 

 seasons, come to maturity, so that from these seeds there have been plants raised, and there 

 are few years in which there is not fruit of this sort sent from America, whereby this species 

 is now become pretty common in the English nurseries. 



3. CELTIS C oRiENTALis J foliis ovato cordatis, denticulatis, petiolis brevibus. Mill. Diet. 

 Nettle-tree with oval, heart-shaped leaves, sliglitly indented, and short foot-dalks. Celtis orien- 

 talis minor, foliis minoribus et crassioribus, fructu flavo. Toui'n. Smaller Eastern Lote-tree, 

 tvith smaller and thicker leaves, and yellow fruit. The oriental nettle-tree. 



This sort was discovered by Dr. Tournefort in Armenia ; from whence he sent the seeds to the 

 Royal Garden at Paris, where they succeeded, and the trees, which were there raised, have 

 produced fruit for several years ; so that most of the curious gardens in Europe have been 

 furnished with it from thence. It rises with a stem about ten or twelve feet high, dividing 

 into many branches, which spread horizontally on every side, having a smooth, greenish 

 bark, garnished with leaves about an inch and a half long, and near an inch broad, inclining 

 to a heart-shape, but are oblique, one of the ears of the base being smaller and lower than 

 the other ; they are of a thicker texture than those of the common sort, and of a paler green, 

 placed alternate on the branches, and have short foot-stalks. The flowers come out from 

 the foot-stalks of the leaves, in the same manner as the former, and are succeeded by oval, 

 yellow berries, which, when fully ripe, turn to a darker colour. The wood of this tree is 

 very Vhite. 



