Celtis
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Automatic taxobox
Celtis is a genus of about 60–70 species of deciduous trees, commonly known as hackberries or nettle trees, in the hemp family Cannabaceae. It has a cosmopolitan distribution.
Description
Celtis species are generally medium-sized trees, reaching Template:Convert tall, rarely up to Template:Cvt tall. The leaves are alternate, simple, Template:Convert long, ovate-acuminate, and evenly serrated margins. Diagnostically, Celtis can be very similar to trees in the Rosaceae and other rose motif families.Template:Citation needed
Small flowers of this monoecious plant appear in early spring while the leaves are still developing. Male flowers are longer and hairy. Female flowers are greenish and more rounded.Template:Citation needed
The fruit is a small drupe Template:Convert in diameter, edible in many species, with a dryish but sweet, sugary consistency, reminiscent of a date.Template:Citation needed
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).<ref name="APweb">Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:GRIN</ref>
Phylogeny
Members of the genus are present in the fossil record as early as the Miocene of Europe, and Paleocene of North America and eastern Asia.<ref>MacPhail, M. K., N. F. Alley, E. M. Truswell and I. R. K. Sluiter (1994). "Early Tertiary vegetation: evidence from spores and pollen." History of the Australian Vegetation: Cretaceous to Recent. Ed. Robert S. Hill. Cambridge University Press. pp. 189–261. Template:ISBN.Partially available on Google Books.</ref><ref>Manchester, S. R., Akhmetiev, M. A., & Kodrul, T. M. (2002). Leaves and fruits of Celtis aspera (Newberry) comb. nov. (Celtidaceae) from the Paleocene of North America and eastern Asia. International Journal of Plant Sciences, 163(5), 725-736.</ref>
Etymology
The derivation of the name of this genus, Celtis, is from a Latin word for an unrelated plant, the "lotus tree" of North Africa. The word was applied to this taxon by Linnaeus for unknown reasons.Template:R
Species
Template:As of, the following 68 species are accepted by Plants of the World Online.Template:R
Removed from genus
- Trema cannabina Template:Small (as C. amboinensis Template:Small)
- Trema lamarckianum Template:Small (as C. lamarckiana Template:Small)
- Trema orientalis Template:Small (as C. guineensis Template:Small or C. orientalis Template:Small)
- Trema tomentosa Template:Small (as C. aspera Template:Small or C. tomentosa Template:Small)<ref name="GRINSpecies">Template:Cite web</ref>
Distribution and habitat
The genus is widespread throughout tropical and temperate parts of the world, occurring on all continents except Antarctica.Template:R
Ecology
Template:More citations needed sectionSome 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<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 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.<ref>Brower, Andrew V.Z. (2006). Problems with DNA barcodes for species delimitation: ‘ten species’ of Astraptes fulgerator reassessed (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). Systematics and Biodiversity 4(2): 127–132. Template:Doi PDF fulltext</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal PDF fulltext Supporting Appendices</ref>
Pathogens
The plant pathogenic basidiomycete fungus Perenniporia celtis was first described from a Celtis host plant.
Habitat Loss
Some species of Celtis are threatened by habitat destruction.
Uses
Template:More citations needed section 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The berries of C. douglasii are also edible, and were consumed by the Mescalero Apaches.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Hackberry wood is sometimes used in cabinetry and woodworking.Template:Citation needed
Gallery
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C. aetnensis with mature fruit -
Caucasian hackberry (C.Template:Nbspcaucasica) with immature fruit -
African hackberry (C.Template:Nbspintegrifolia) -
Chinese hackberry (C.Template:Nbspsinensis) -
C. australis autumn leaves
