463 
The Horn-beam preserves itself well from the bruttings of deer, so that clumps of this tree are 
proper in parks, both for beauty and shelter. 
There is a variety with striped leaves, which is propagated by budding on the common sort, but 
the colours are not strong or lively.* 
The Horn-beam may be increased in the same manner with the common sort: and they may all 
be propagated by layers. 
Genus 9. Celtis. Lote or Nettle Tree . Class XXIII. Poiygamia, 
Order I. Monoecia. 
Species 1. European Nettle Tree . (Celtis Australis.) 
The European Nettle-tree, or Lote-tree with a black fruit, rises with an upright stem to the height 
of forty or fifty feet, with many slender branches, which have a smooth dark-coloured bark, with 
some gray spot. Leaves alternate, near four inches long, and about two broad in the middle. Flowers 
axillary all along the branches; being composed of a green calyx without any corolla they make no 
appearance ; they come out in the spring at the same time with the leaves, and generally decay before 
these are arrived at half their size. The fruit is, according to Pallas, the size of a small cherry, first 
yellow, then livid, on a long peduncle. 
It grows naturally in the south of Europe, where it is one of the largest trees. D’Asso mentions 
some of a prodigious height and girt in Spain : and Pallas says, that they attain the size of the Elm in 
the Chersonesus Taurica. It is not so common in England as the second species, nor do I remember 
to have seen but two large trees of this sort in the English gardens; one of which was formerly 
growing in the Bishop of London’s garden at Fulham, but was cut down some years past, with many 
other curious exotic trees, which were there growing in great perfection : the other was in the garden 
of Dr. Uvedale at Enfield, which had frequently produced fruit, but was never propagated in this 
country, nor were any young plants in the gardens, till after 1751, when I procured, says Miller, a 
good quantity of the fruit from Italy, which I communicated to several of my friends. 
The wood of this tree is one of the hardest we are acquainted with. Fvelyn says that it was 
anciently used for flutes and other musical instruments, and that hafts for knives and tools were made 
of the root. When it arrives at any size, its hardness, toughness and flexibility must entitle it to 
more important services. Its fine regular spreading head, of a cheerful green colour, renders this tree 
extremely proper for clumps in parks, groves, single trees or avenues,f 
Of the branches are made hoops for casks, and fishing-rods. The berries are eaten by birds, and 
also by children in the south of Europe. J 
Species 2. American Nettle Tree . (Celtis Occidentals.) 
This tree 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 spread very much. The 
leaves are alternate, and on pretty long foot-stalks: they are tender, ovate-lanceolate, a little pubes- 
cent; when full grown broad-ovate, acuminate, at the point and base quite entire, in the other parts 
serrate, naked, nerve-veined, the hinder side only half the size of the other. The flowers come 
* Boutcher, 
f Ibid. 
J D^Asso. 
