''Celtis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of about 60–70 species of

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

trees, commonly known as hackberries or nettle trees, widespread in warm

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

regions of the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

. The genus is part of the extended

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants o ...

family (

Cannabaceae Cannabaceae is a small family (biology), family of flowering plants, known as the hemp family. As now Circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed, the family includes about 170 species grouped in about 11 genera, including ''Cannabis'' (hemp), ''H ...

Description

''Celtis'' species are generally medium-sized

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s, reaching tall, rarely up to tall. The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are alternate, simple, long,

ovate Ovate may refer to: *Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe *Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd *Vates In modern English, the nouns vates () and ovat ...

acuminate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

, and evenly

serrated Serration is a saw-like appearance or a row of sharp or tooth-like projections. A serrated cutting edge has many small points of contact with the material being cut. By having less contact area than a smooth blade or other edge, the applied pr ...

margins. Diagnostically, ''Celtis'' can be very similar to trees in the

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are ''Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...

and other rose motif families. Small flowers of this

monoecious Monoecy (; adj. monoecious ) is a sexual system in seed plants where separate male and female cones or flowers are present on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system alongside gynomonoecy, andromonoecy and trimonoecy. Monoecy is conne ...

plant appear in early spring while the leaves are still developing. Male flowers are longer and

fuzzy Fuzzy or Fuzzies may refer to: Music * Fuzzy (band), a 1990s Boston indie pop band * Fuzzy (composer) (born 1939), Danish composer Jens Vilhelm Pedersen * ''Fuzzy'' (album), 1993 debut album by the Los Angeles rock group Grant Lee Buffalo * "Fuz ...

. Female flowers are greenish and more rounded. The fruit is a small

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...

in diameter, edible in many species, with a dryish but sweet, sugary consistency, reminiscent of a

date Date or dates may refer to: *Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'') Social activity *Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner **Group dating *Play date, an ...

Taxonomy

Previously included either in the

elm Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the flowering plant genus ''Ulmus'' in the plant family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical-montane regions of North ...

family (

Ulmaceae The Ulmaceae () are a family of flowering plants that includes the elms (genus ''Ulmus''), and the zelkovas (genus ''Zelkova''). Members of the family are widely distributed throughout the north temperate zone, and have a scattered distribution e ...

) or a separate family, Celtidaceae, the

APG III system The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). Published in 2009, it was superseded in 2016 by a fur ...

places ''Celtis'' in an expanded

family (

Phylogeny

Members of the genus are present in the

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

record at early as the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

of Europe, and

Paleocene The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 mya (unit), million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), E ...

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 africana, blomme, Manie van der Schijff BT, a

Celtis africana, blomme, Manie van der Schijff BT, a

*''

Celtis adolfi-friderici ''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). De ...

'' *''

Celtis africana ''Celtis africana'', the white stinkwood, is a deciduous tree in the family Cannabaceae. Its habit ranges from a tall tree in forest to a medium-sized tree in bushveld and open country, and a shrub on rocky soil. It occurs in Yemen and over la ...

'' – white stinkwood *''

Celtis australis ''Celtis australis'', the European nettle tree, Mediterranean hackberry, lote tree, or honeyberry, is a deciduous tree native to Southern Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor. The tree was introduced to England in 1796.Hillier Nurseries Ltd. (19 ...

'' – European hackberry, European nettle tree, or lote tree *''

Celtis balansae ''Celtis balansae'' is a species of plant in the family Cannabaceae. It is endemic to New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Cal ...

'' *''

Celtis berteroana ''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). Desc ...

'' *'' Celtis bifida'' *'' Celtis biondii'' *''

Celtis boninensis ''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). De ...

'' *''

Celtis brasiliensis ''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). Desc ...

'' *''

Celtis bungeana ''Celtis bungeana'', commonly known as Bunge's hackberry is a deciduous tree in the genus ''Celtis'' that can grow 15 meters in height. Range The species is native to the temperate zone of Asia in China and Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, o ...

'' – Bunge's hackberry *''

Celtis caucasica ''Celtis caucasica'', the Caucasian hackberry or Caucasian nettle tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Cannabaceae. It is native to the Caucasus region, Central Asia, and on to the western Himalaya. Hardy to USDA zone 5b, it toler ...

'' – Caucasian hackberry *'' Celtis caudata'' *''

Celtis cerasifera ''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 Cannabis, hemp family (Cannabace ...

'' *''

Celtis chekiangensis ''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). Desc ...

'' *''

Celtis chichape ''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). De ...

'' *''

Celtis conferta ''Celtis conferta'' is a flowering plant in the hemp and hackberry family. It has a disjunct range in the Australasian region, with two subspecies. Subspecies * ''Celtis conferta'' subsp. ''conferta'' — New Caledonia * ''Celtis conferta'' sub ...

'' – cottonwood **''Celtis conferta'' subsp. ''conferta'' –

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

** ''Celtis conferta'' subsp. ''amblyphylla'' –

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland P ...

*''

Celtis ehrenbergiana ''Celtis ehrenbergiana'', called the desert hackberry or spiny hackberry, is a plant species that has long been called ''C. pallida'' by many authors, including in the "Flora of North America" database. It is native to Arizona, Florida, New Mexic ...

'' – spiny hackberry, ''granjeno'' (Spanish) *'' Celtis eriocarpa'' *''

Celtis glabrata ''Celtis glabrata'' is a deciduous tree in the genus ''Celtis'', native to parts of eastern Europe and western Asia.USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2022. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonom ...

'' (syn. ''Celtis planchoniana'' ) *''

Celtis gomphophylla ''Celtis gomphophylla'' is a species of flowering plant native to sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, and the Comoros. Description ''Celtis gomphophylla'' is a tree, growing from 5 to 35 meters tall. Range and habitat ''Celtis gomphophylla'' ranges ...

'' *''

Celtis harperi ''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). Desc ...

'' *''

Celtis hildebrandii ''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). Desc ...

'' *''

Celtis hypoleuca ''Celtis hypoleuca'' is a species of plant in the family Cannabaceae. It is endemic to New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Ca ...

'' *''

Celtis iguanaea ''Celtis iguanaea'', commonly known as the iguana hackberry is a deciduous tree in the genus ''Celtis''. The species is found in the United States (Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Flo ...

'' – iguana hackberry *''

Celtis jamaicensis ''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). Desc ...

'' *''

Celtis jessoensis ''Celtis jessoensis'', known as the Japanese hackberry or Jesso hackberry (from an archaic reading of "Ezo": Hokkaidō) is a species of hackberry native to Japan and Korea. It is a deciduous tree growing to 20–25 m tall. The leaves are 5–9& ...

'' – Japanese hackberry *'' Celtis julianae'' – Julian hackberry *''

Celtis koraiensis ''Celtis koraiensis'', commonly known as the Korean hackberry is a deciduous tree in the genus ''Celtis''. The species is endemic to the Korean Peninsula and the north of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), i ...

'' – Korean hackberry *''

Celtis labilis ''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). Desc ...

'' – Hubei hackberry *''

Celtis laevigata ''Celtis laevigata'' is a medium-sized tree native to North America. Common names include sugarberry, Southern hackberry, or in the southern U.S. sugar hackberry or just hackberry. Sugarberry is easily confused with common hackberry ('' C. occ ...

'' – southern or sugar hackberry , sugarberry *''

Celtis latifolia ''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). Desc ...

'' *''

Celtis lindheimeri ''Celtis lindheimeri'', also called Lindheimer's hackberry, is a species of tree in the family Cannabaceae. It is typically found in areas of central Texas and northeastern Mexico. It has a height averaging 9 meters, and produces a reddish-brown ...

'' – Lindheimer's hackberry *''

Celtis loxensis ''Celtis loxensis'' is a species of tree in the family (biology), family Cannabaceae. It is native to Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Description The trees are 3-7m tall, with smooth greyish white bark. Ecology It occurs in semi-deciduous thorn ...

'' *'' Celtis luzonica'' *'' Celtis madagascariensis'' *'' Celtis mauritiana'' (syn. ''Celtis prantlii'' ) *''

Celtis mildbraedii ''Celtis mildbraedii'' is a species of forest tree in the family Cannabaceae. It was previously assigned to the family Ulmaceae. These trees grow in limited areas of South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. They are also found in forested areas fro ...

'' *''

Celtis neglecta ''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 Cannabis, hemp family (Cannabace ...

'' *''

Celtis occidentalis ''Celtis occidentalis'', commonly known as the common hackberry, is a large deciduous tree native to North America. It is also known as the nettletree, sugarberry, beaverwood, northern hackberry, and American hackberry. It is a moderately long-l ...

'' – common or northern hackberry, false elm *''

Celtis orthocanthos ''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). Desc ...

'' *''

Celtis pacifica ''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). Desc ...

'' *''

Celtis pallida ''Celtis ehrenbergiana'', called the desert hackberry or spiny hackberry, is a plant species that has long been called ''C. pallida'' by many authors, including in the "Flora of North America" database. It is native to Arizona, Florida, New Mexic ...

'' – desert or shiny hackberry *''

Celtis paniculata ''Celtis paniculata'', commonly known as tripewood, silky keltis, silky celtis, native hackberry, native celtis, Investigator tree or whitewood, is a rainforest tree native to parts of Malesia, Melanesia and Australia. Description The tree g ...

'' – whitewood *'' Celtis petenensis'' *''

Celtis philippensis ''Celtis philippensis'', is an Asian species of flowering plant in the family Cannabaceae Cannabaceae is a small family of flowering plants, known as the hemp family. As now circumscribed, the family includes about 170 species grouped in abo ...

'' *'' Celtis punctata'' *''

Celtis reticulata ''Celtis reticulata'', with common names including netleaf hackberry, western hackberry, Douglas hackberry,DeBolt, Ann M. (2002"''Celtis reticulata'' Torr. netleaf hackberry"United States Forest Service netleaf sugar hackberry, palo blanco, and ...

'' – netleaf hackberry *''

Celtis rigescens ''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). Desc ...

'' *'' Celtis rubrovenia'' *''

Celtis salomonensis ''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). Desc ...

'' *''

Celtis schippii ''Celtis schippii'' is a medium-sized evergreen tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including o ...

'' *'' Celtis serratissima'' *''

Celtis sinensis ''Celtis sinensis'' (English: Chinese hackberry; Chinese: ; Japanese: ) is a species of flowering plant in the hemp family, Cannabaceae, that is native to slopes in East Asia. Description It is a tree that grows to 20 m tall, with deciduous ...

'' – Chinese or Japanese hackberry, Chinese nettle tree *''

Celtis solenostigma ''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 Cannabis, hemp family (Cannabace ...

'' *''

Celtis spinosa ''Celtis spinosa'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Cannabaceae Cannabaceae is a small family (biology), family of flowering plants, known as the hemp family. As now Circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed, the family includes ...

'' *''

Celtis strychnoides ''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). Desc ...

'' *''

Celtis tala ''Celtis tala'' (or ''Celtis ehrenbergiana''), known as tala, is a medium size deciduous tree, native to tropical and subtropical South America. With small to medium-sized spines, its one of the main components of the Gran Chaco prairies and cer ...

'' – tala *''

Celtis tenuifolia ''Celtis tenuifolia'', the dwarf hackberry or Georgia hackberry is a shrub or small tree . It is native to eastern North America but is very uncommon north of the Ohio River. In Canada, dwarf hackberry is designated as threatened and protected ...

'' – dwarf hackberry *''

Celtis tessmannii ''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). Desc ...

'' *''

Celtis tetrandra ''Celtis tetrandra'', called the Nilgiri elm, is a species of flowering plant in the hackberry genus ''Celtis'', family Cannabaceae. It is widely distributed across the Indian Subcontinent, southern China, Southeast Asia, and western Indonesia. I ...

'' – Nilgiri elm *''

Celtis tikalana ''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). De ...

'' *''

Celtis timorensis ''Celtis timorensis'', commonly known as stinkwood or stinking wood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Cannabaceae that grows in tropical Asia. The specific name (botany), specific epithet comes from the name of the island of Timor, t ...

'' – kayu busok *''

Celtis toka ''Celtis toka'' is a medium-sized tree that commonly occurs adjacent to streams and rivers in the Sudanian-Sahel savannah climates of Tropical Africa but it can survive in drier habitats; it is also found of Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Description ...

'' *'' Celtis tournefortii'' – Oriental hackberry *''

Celtis trinervia ''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). De ...

'' – almex *''

Celtis vandervoetiana ''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). Desc ...

'' *''

Celtis vitiensis ''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 Cannabis, hemp family (Cannabace ...

'' *''

Celtis zenkeri ''Celtis zenkeri'' is a species of flowering plant native to sub-Saharan Africa. Description ''Celtis zenkeri'' is a large tree, growing up to 30 to 50 meters high. It is fast-growing, growing up to 15 cm in height per year, and in Côte d’Ivo ...

Removed from genus

*''Trema cannabina'' (as ''C. amboinensis'' ) *''

Trema lamarckiana ''Trema lamarckiana'', the Lamarck's trema or West Indian nettle tree, is a plant species in the genus '' Trema'' of the family Cannabaceae. It is a small evergreen shrub that is native of Florida and the West Indies. It has several common names ...

'' (as ''C. lamarckiana'' ) *''

Trema orientalis ''Trema orientale'' (sometimes spelled ''Trema orientalis'') is a species of flowering tree in the hemp family, Cannabaceae. The basionym of ''T. orientalis'', ''Celtis orientalis'' was originally described and published in ''Species P ...

'' (as ''C. guineensis'' or ''C. orientalis'' ) *''

Trema tomentosa ''Trema tomentosa'', commonly known as poison peach, is a shrub or tree in the family ''Cannabaceae'' native to the Indian subcontinent, south east Asia, through the islands of the south west Pacific, and the east coast and northern half of Austr ...

'' (as ''C. aspera'' or ''C. tomentosa'' )

Etymology

The generic name originated in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

and was applied by

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic '' ...

to the unrelated ''

Ziziphus lotus ''Ziziphus'' is a genus of about 40 species of spiny shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae, distributed in the warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of the world. The leaves are alternate, entire, with three promi ...

''.

Distribution and habitat

The trees are widespread in warm

regions of the

, including

Southern Europe Southern Europe is the southern regions of Europe, region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countrie ...

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

and

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...

, southern and central

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, south and central

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, and northern and central

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

Ecology

Some species, including common hackberry ('' C. occidentalis'') and '' C. brasiliensis'', are

honey plant Honeybees usually collect nectar, pollen, or both from the following species of plants, which are called honey plants, for making honey. Acanthaceae (Acanthus family) *'' Avicennia nitida'' Jacq. or Avicennia ger ...

s and a

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

source for

honeybee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosmo ...

s of lesser importance.

Lepidoptera

''Celtis'' species are used as food plants by the

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

s of certain

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

. These include mainly

brush-footed butterflies The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a redu ...

, most importantly the distinct genus ''

Libythea ''Libythea'' is a widespread genus of nymphalid butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured ...

'' (beak butterflies) and some

Apaturinae The Apaturinae are a subfamily of butterflies that includes many species commonly called emperors. Description Strikingly-coloured, with cryptic underwing. A distinguishing character of the subfamily is the green proboscis. Agathina emperor ( ...

(emperor butterflies): Libythea celtis1

*'' Acytolepis puspa'' – common hedge blue, recorded on Chinese hackberry (''C. sinensis'') *''

Automeris io ''Automeris io'', the Io moth () or peacock moth, is a colorful North American moth in the family Saturniidae. The io moth is also a member of the subfamily Hemileucinae. The name Io comes from Greek mythology in which Io was a mortal lover of ...

'' – Io moth, recorded on southern hackberry ('' C. laevigata'') *''

Asterocampa celtis ''Asterocampa celtis'', the hackberry emperor, is a North American butterfly that belongs to the brushfooted butterfly family, Nymphalidae. It gets its name from the hackberry tree ('' Celtis occidentalis'' and others in the genus ''Celtis'') upo ...

'' – hackberry butterfly or hackberry emperor *''

Libythea celtis ''Libythea celtis'', the European beak or nettle-tree butterfly, is a butterfly of the Libytheinae group of the Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies family. Description The upperside ground colour is rich silky brown. The forewing has the c ...

'' – European beak *''

Libythea labdaca ''Libythea labdaca'', the African snout butterfly, is a member of the butterfly subfamily Libytheinae found in western and central Africa. ''Libythea laius'' was considered as a synonym earlier as it mostly similar to ''L. labdaca'' by sharing ...

'' – African beak *''

Libythea lepita ''Libythea lepita'', the common beak, is a butterfly that belongs to the Libytheinae group of the brush-footed butterflies family. It is found from southern India to Japan and its larval food plants include members of the Cannabaceae, particular ...

'' – common beak *''

Libythea myrrha ''Libythea myrrha'', the club beak, is a butterfly found in India that belongs to the Libytheinae group of the brush-footed butterflies family found in the Indomalayan realm. Description Variable in the extent and breadth of the orange-yellow ...

'' – club beak, recorded on '' C. tetrandra'' *''

Libytheana carinenta The American snout or common snout butterfly (''Libytheana carinenta'') is a member of the subfamily Libytheinae in the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae. This species is found in both North and South America. The larval host plants are ...

'' – American snout or common snout butterfly *''

Nymphalis xanthomelas ''Nymphalis xanthomelas'', the scarce tortoiseshell, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in eastern Europe and Asia. This butterfly is also referred as yellow-legged tortoiseshell or large tortoiseshell (however, in Europe, "large tortois ...

'' – scarce tortoiseshell, recorded on European hackberry ('' C. australis'') *''

Sasakia charonda ''Sasakia charonda'', the Japanese emperor or great purple emperor, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is native to Japan (from Hokkaidō to Kyūshū), the Korean Peninsula, China, northern Taiwan and northern Vietnam. Its wi ...

'' – great purple emperor, recorded on '' C. jessoensis'' and ''C. sinensis'' *A putative new

taxon In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

of the

two-barred flasher ''Astraptes fulgerator'', the two-barred flasher, is a spread-wing skipper butterfly in the genus '' Astraptes'' which may constitute a possible cryptic species complex. It ranges all over the Americas, from the southern United States to north ...

(''Astraptes fulgerator'')

cryptic species complex In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

, provisionally called "CELT," has hitherto only been found on '' C. iguanaea''.

Pathogens

The

plant pathogen Plant pathology (also phytopathology) is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungi, oomyc ...

basidiomycete Basidiomycota () is one of two large divisions that, together with the Ascomycota, constitute the subkingdom Dikarya (often referred to as the "higher fungi") within the kingdom Fungi. Members are known as basidiomycetes. More specifically, Basi ...

fungus ''

Perenniporia celtis ''Perenniporia'' is a cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan genus of bracket-forming or crust fungus, crust-like polypores in the family Polyporaceae. They are dimitic or trimitic with smooth, thick-walled basidiospores and cause a white rot in ...

'' was first described from a ''Celtis'' host plant. Some species of ''Celtis'' are threatened by

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

Uses

Several species are grown as

ornamental trees Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

, valued for their

drought tolerance Drought tolerance is the ability to which a plant maintains its biomass production during arid or drought conditions. Some plants are naturally adapted to dry conditions'','' surviving with protection mechanisms such as desiccation tolerance, detox ...

. They are a regular feature of

arboreta An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...

and

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

s, particularly in North America. Chinese hackberry ('' C. sinensis'') is suited for

bonsai Bonsai ( ja, 盆栽, , tray planting, ) is the Japanese art of growing and training miniature trees in pots, developed from the traditional Chinese art form of ''penjing''. Unlike ''penjing'', which utilizes traditional techniques to produce ...

culture; a magnificent specimen in Daegu-myeon is one of the

natural monuments of South Korea The natural monuments of South Korea constitute a natural heritage system designated by the South Korean government according to the Natural Heritage Protection Law (문화재보호법) that considers significant natural resources, such as animals ...

. The berries are generally edible when they ripen and fall. ''C. occidentalis'' fruit was used by the

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

, eaten casually, as well as the

Dakota people The Dakota (pronounced , Dakota language: ''Dakȟóta/Dakhóta'') are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government in North America. They compose two of the three main subcultures of the Sioux people, and are typically divided into ...

, who pounded them fine, seeds and all. The

Pawnee Pawnee initially refers to a Native American people and its language: * Pawnee people * Pawnee language Pawnee is also the name of several places in the United States: * Pawnee, Illinois * Pawnee, Kansas * Pawnee, Missouri * Pawnee City, Nebraska * ...

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 Mescalero or Mescalero Apache ( apm, Naa'dahéńdé) is an Apache tribe of Southern Athabaskan–speaking Native Americans. The tribe is federally recognized as the Mescalero Apache Tribe of the Mescalero Apache Reservation, located in south-ce ...

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

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q248582 Plants used in bonsai Rosales genera