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NETTLE TREE. 



Family: AMENTACEAE [Translator's note: now ULMACEAE]. 

 Reproductive system: POLYGAMY, MONOECY. 



In the south of France the European nettle tree, Celtis australis, Linn., is found 

 along public promenades and in forests where it grows and propagates by itself. The 

 trunk sometimes is two or three feet in diameter. It's straight, cylindrical, and covered 

 with smooth grayish bark while the tree is young. It puts out large boughs and numerous 

 smaller branches. The leaves are alternate, pctiolate, oval-lanceolate, dentate and deep 

 green. One side of their base is shorter than the other. The flowers are greenish, very 

 small, and are located in small numbers in the axils of the leaves. Some are male; the 

 others are hermaphroditic. The calyx is small with five lobes. There are five stamens that 

 are almost sessile. The ovary is superior with two styles on top. It turns into a small 

 rounded drupe, black when mature, and contains only one seed. 



FLOWERS: in May. 



RANGE: Provence and part of southern France. It's cultivated in the area around 



Paris. 



NOMENCLATURE. German, der sudliche lotusbaum. English, the European nettle 

 tree. Italian, bagolaro. Russian, schelesnoi derewo. Polish, obrostnica drzewo. Tartar, 

 karkas. Provencal, fabrecouillier, fabregourier, falabriquier. Commonly, I'orme 

 [Translator's note: elm] des Provengaux, le micacoulier. 



USES. In the south the fruit makes pleasant eating. It's sweet, but it has too little 

 pulp to be nutritious. Still, children are very fond of it. Careful cultivation might improve 

 it. 



