Celtis

''Celtis'' is a genus of about 60–70 species of deciduous trees, commonly known as hackberries or nettle trees, widespread in warm temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The genus is part of the extended hemp family ( Cannabaceae).

Description

''Celtis'' species are generally medium-sized trees, reaching tall, rarely up to tall. The leaves are alternate, simple, long, ovate- acuminate, and evenly serrated margins. Diagnostically, ''Celtis'' can be very similar to trees in the Rosaceae and other rose motif families.

Small flowers of this monoecious plant appear in early spring while the leaves are still developing. Male flowers are longer and fuzzy. Female flowers are greenish and more rounded.

The fruit is a small drupe in diameter, edible in many species, with a dryish but sweet, sugary consistency, reminiscent of a date.

Taxonomy

Previously included either in the elm family ( Ulmaceae) or a separate family, Celtidaceae, the APG III system places ''Celtis'' in an expanded hemp family ( Cannabaceae).

Phylogeny

Members of the genus are present in the fossil record at early as the Miocene of Europe, and Paleocene of North America and eastern Asia.

Species

66 species are currently accepted.''Celtis'' L.
''Plants of the World Online'', Kew Science. Accessed 11 December 2022.


*''Celtis adolfi-friderici''
*'' Celtis africana'' – white stinkwood
*''Celtis australis'' – European hackberry, European nettle tree, or lote tree
*''Celtis balansae''
*'' Celtis berteroana''
*''Celtis bifida''
*''Celtis biondii''
*'' Celtis boninensis''
*''Celtis brasiliensis''
*'' Celtis bungeana'' – Bunge's hackberry
*''Celtis caucasica'' – Caucasian hackberry
*''Celtis caudata''
*''Celtis cerasifera''
*''Celtis chekiangensis''
*'' Celtis chichape''
*''Celtis conferta'' – cottonwood
**''Celtis conferta'' subsp. ''conferta'' – New Caledonia
** ''Celtis conferta'' subsp. ''amblyphylla'' – Lord Howe Island
*'' Celtis ehrenbergiana'' – spiny hackberry, ''granjeno'' (Spanish)
*''Celtis eriocarpa''
*'' Celtis glabrata'' (syn. ''Celtis planchoniana'' )
*'' Celtis gomphophylla''
*''Celtis harperi''
*''Celtis hildebrandii''
*''Celtis hypoleuca''
*'' Celtis iguanaea'' – iguana hackberry
*'' Celtis jamaicensis''
*'' Celtis jessoensis'' – Japanese hackberry
*''Celtis julianae'' – Julian hackberry
*''Celtis koraiensis'' – Korean hackberry
*'' Celtis labilis'' – Hubei hackberry
*'' Celtis laevigata'' – southern or sugar hackberry , sugarberry
*'' Celtis latifolia''
*''Celtis lindheimeri'' – Lindheimer's hackberry
*''Celtis loxensis''
*''Celtis luzonica''
*''Celtis madagascariensis''
*''Celtis mauritiana'' (syn. ''Celtis prantlii'' )
*''Celtis mildbraedii''
*'' Celtis neglecta''
*'' Celtis occidentalis'' – common or northern hackberry, false elm
*'' Celtis orthocanthos''
*'' Celtis pacifica''
*''Celtis pallida'' – desert or shiny hackberry
*'' Celtis paniculata'' – whitewood
*''Celtis petenensis''
*'' Celtis philippensis''
*''Celtis punctata''
*'' Celtis reticulata'' – netleaf hackberry
*''Celtis rigescens''
*''Celtis rubrovenia''
*''Celtis salomonensis''
*''Celtis schippii''
*''Celtis serratissima''
*''Celtis sinensis'' – Chinese or Japanese hackberry, Chinese nettle tree
*'' Celtis solenostigma''
*'' Celtis spinosa''
*''Celtis strychnoides''
*'' Celtis tala'' – tala
*'' Celtis tenuifolia'' – dwarf hackberry
*'' Celtis tessmannii''
*'' Celtis tetrandra'' – Nilgiri elm
*'' Celtis tikalana''
*''Celtis timorensis'' – kayu busok
*''Celtis toka''
*''Celtis tournefortii'' – Oriental hackberry
*'' Celtis trinervia'' – almex
*''Celtis vandervoetiana''
*''Celtis vitiensis''
*''Celtis zenkeri''

Removed from genus

*''Trema cannabina'' (as ''C. amboinensis'' )
*'' Trema lamarckiana'' (as ''C. lamarckiana'' )
*''Trema orientalis'' (as ''C. guineensis'' or ''C. orientalis'' )
*''Trema tomentosa'' (as ''C. aspera'' or ''C. tomentosa'' )

Etymology

The generic name originated in Latin and was applied by Pliny the Elder to the unrelated '' Ziziphus lotus''.

Distribution and habitat

The trees are widespread in warm temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including Southern Europe, South and East Asia, southern and central North America, south and central Africa, and northern and central South America.

Ecology

Some species, including common hackberry ('' C. occidentalis'') and '' C. brasiliensis'', are honey plants and a pollen source for honeybees of lesser importance.

Lepidoptera

''Celtis'' species are used as food plants by the caterpillars of certain Lepidoptera. These include mainly brush-footed butterflies, most importantly the distinct genus '' Libythea'' (beak butterflies) and some Apaturinae (emperor butterflies):

*''Acytolepis puspa'' – common hedge blue, recorded on Chinese hackberry (''C. sinensis'')
*'' Automeris io'' – Io moth, recorded on southern hackberry ('' C. laevigata'')
*'' Asterocampa celtis'' – hackberry butterfly or hackberry emperor
*'' Libythea celtis'' – European beak
*'' Libythea labdaca'' – African beak
*'' Libythea lepita'' – common beak
*'' Libythea myrrha'' – club beak, recorded on '' C. tetrandra''
*''Libytheana carinenta'' – American snout or common snout butterfly
*''Nymphalis xanthomelas'' – scarce tortoiseshell, recorded on European hackberry ('' C. australis'')
*'' Sasakia charonda'' – great purple emperor, recorded on '' C. jessoensis'' and ''C. sinensis''
*A putative new taxon of the two-barred flasher (''Astraptes fulgerator'') cryptic species complex, provisionally called "CELT," has hitherto only been found on '' C. iguanaea''.

Pathogens

The plant pathogenic basidiomycete fungus '' Perenniporia celtis'' was first described from a ''Celtis'' host plant. Some species of ''Celtis'' are threatened by habitat destruction.

Uses

Several species are grown as ornamental trees, valued for their drought tolerance. They are a regular feature of arboreta and botanical gardens, particularly in North America. Chinese hackberry ('' C. sinensis'') is suited for bonsai culture; a magnificent specimen in Daegu-myeon is one of the natural monuments of South Korea. The berries are generally edible when they ripen and fall. ''C. occidentalis'' fruit was used by the Omaha, eaten casually, as well as the Dakota people, who pounded them fine, seeds and all. The Pawnee used the pounded fruits in combination with fat and parched corn.

Hackberry wood is sometimes used in cabinetry and woodworking. The berries of some, such as '' C. douglasii'', are edible, and were consumed by the Mescalero Apaches.

Gallery

File:Celtis aetnensis.jpg, ''C. aetnensis'' with mature fruit
File:Celtis-caucasica-fruit.JPG, Caucasian hackberry (''C.caucasica'') with immature fruit
File:Celtis integrifolia.jpg, African hackberry (''C.integrifolia'')
File:Celtis sinensis=Chinese Hackberry.jpg, Chinese hackberry (''C.sinensis'')
File:Celtis australis-StSauveur-4925~2015 10 31.JPG, ''C. australis'' autumn leaves

References

External links

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{{Taxonbar, from=Q248582

Plants used in bonsai
Rosales genera