celtis

Celtis species are generally medium-sized trees, reaching {{Convert|10-25|m|abbr=off}} tall, rarely up to {{cvt|40|m|ft}} tall. The leaves are alternate, simple, {{Convert|3-15|cm|abbr=off|frac=4}} long, ovate-acuminate, and evenly serrated margins. Diagnostically, Celtis can be very similar to trees in the Rosaceae and other rose motif families.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

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.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

The fruit is a small drupe {{Convert|6-10|mm|frac=8}} in diameter, edible in many species, with a dryish but sweet, sugary consistency, reminiscent of a date.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

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).{{Citation |last=Stevens |first=P.F. |title=Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Cannabaceae |url=http://www.mobot.org/mobot/research/apweb/orders/rosalesweb.htm#Cannabaceae}}{{GRIN|id=2226|name=Celtis|access-date=February 12, 2012}}

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.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. {{ISBN|0521401976}}.[https://books.google.com/books?id=loBrTOJDojoC&dq=celtis+fossil+record+Miocene+of+Europe.&pg=PA231 Partially available on Google Books].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.

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.{{R|FOA|COOPER2}}

{{As of|2024|7}}, the following 68 species are accepted by Plants of the World Online.{{R|POWO}}

File:Celtis africana, blomme, Manie van der Schijff BT, a.jpg, with four tepals and four stamens each]]

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• Celtis adolfi-friderici {{small|Engl.}} – western and central Africa
• Celtis africana {{small|Burm.f.}} – Afromontane region, Madagascar
• Celtis australis {{small|L.}} – Mediterranean Basin
• Celtis balansae {{small|Planch.}} – New Caledonia
• Celtis berteroana {{small|Urb.}} – Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica
• Celtis bifida {{small|Leroy}} – Madagascar
• Celtis biondii {{small|Pamp.}} – China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan
• Celtis boninensis {{small|Koidz.}} – Japan
• Celtis brasiliensis {{small|(Gardner) Planch.}} – South America
• Celtis bungeana {{small|L.}} – China, Korea
• Celtis caucasica {{small|L.}} – Turkey, Central Asia to Assam
• Celtis caudata {{small|Planch.}} – Mexico and Central America
• Celtis cerasifera {{small|C.K.Schneid.}} – central and southern China, southeastern Tibet, and northern Myanmar
• Celtis chekiangensis {{small|C.C.Cheng}} – eastern China
• Celtis chichape {{small|(Wedd.) Miq.}} – Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina, and southern Brazil
• Celtis clausseniana {{small|Wedd. Miq.}} – Brazil
• Celtis conferta {{small|Planch.}} – New Caledonia
• Celtis eriocarpa {{small|Decne.}} – Pakistan, western Himalaya
• Celtis flavovenarum {{small|Zamengo}} – Brazil
• Celtis flumeniana {{small|Zamengo}} – Brazil
• Celtis fluminensis {{small|Carauta}} – Brazil
• Celtis glabrata {{small|Steven ex Planch.}} – eastern Europe and western Asia
• Celtis harperi {{small|Horne ex Baker}} – SW Pacific
• Celtis hildebrandii {{small|Soepadmo}} – Maluku to Solomon Islands
• Celtis hypoleuca {{small|Planch.}} – New Caledonia
• Celtis iguanaea {{small|(Jacq.) Sarg.}} – Florida, Mexico, Caribbean, Central and South America
• Celtis jamaicensis {{small|Planch.}} – Jamaica
• Celtis jessoensis {{small|Koidz.}} – Japan & Korea
• Celtis julianae {{small|C.K.Schneid.}} – China
• Celtis koraiensis {{small|L.}} – E. China to Korea
• Celtis laevigata {{small|Willd.}} – central & southeast US, Mexico
• Celtis latifolia {{small|(Blume) Planch.}} – Philippines, Maluku to Santa Cruz Islands
• Celtis lindheimeri {{small|Engelm. ex K.Koch}} – Texas, Mexico
• Celtis loxensis {{small|C.C.Berg}} – Ecuador, N. Peru
• Celtis luzonica {{small|Warb.}} – Philippines
• Celtis madagascariensis {{small|Sattarian}} – Madagascar
• Celtis mauritiana {{small|Planch.}} – tropical Africa and western Indian Ocean
• Celtis mildbraedii {{small|Engl.}} – tropical Africa and Madagascar
• Celtis neglecta {{small|Zi L.Chen & X.F.Jin}} – China (Zhejiang)
• Celtis occidentalis {{small|L.}} – eastern North America
• Celtis orthocanthos {{small|Planch.}} – Brazil
• Celtis pacifica {{small|Planch.}} – south central Pacific
• Celtis pallida {{small|Torr.}} – southwestern US, northern Mexico
• Celtis paniculata {{small|(Endl.) Planch.}} – eastern Malesia, eastern Australia, Micronesia, western Polynesia
• Celtis petenensis {{small|Lundell}} – Guatemala
• Celtis philippensis {{small|Planch.}} – tropical & subtropical Asia to N. Australia
• Celtis prantlii {{small|Priemer ex Engl.}} – west & central tropical Africa
• Celtis punctata {{small|(Urb. & Ekman) Urb. & Ekman}} – Haiti
• Celtis reticulata {{small|Torr.}} – western North America
• Celtis rigescens {{small|(Miq.) Planch.}} – Malesia, Papuasia
• Celtis rubrovenia {{small|Elmer}} – Philippines, Papuasia
• Celtis salomonensis {{small|Rech.}} – Solomon Islands
• Celtis serratissima {{small|Zamengo, R.B.Torres, Gaglioti & Romaniuc}} – Brazil
• Celtis sinensis {{small|Pers.}} – China and Japan
• Celtis spinosa {{small|Spreng.}} – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela
• Celtis strychnoides {{small|Planch.}} – northern Australia
• Celtis tala {{small|Gillet ex Planch.}} – South America
• Celtis tenuifolia {{small|Nutt.}} – North America
• Celtis tessmannii {{small|Rendle.}} – central Africa
• Celtis tetrandra {{small|Roxb.}} – Pakistan to China and Malesia
• Celtis tikalana {{small|Lundell}} – Guatemala
• Celtis timorensis {{small|Span.}} – Indian Subcontinent to Malesia
• Celtis toka {{small|(Forssk.) Hepper & J.R.I.Wood}} – western, north-central, and northeastern Africa
• Celtis tournefortii {{small|L.}} – Balkan Peninsula to Iran
• Celtis trinervia {{small|Lam.}} – southeast Mexico to Columbia
• Celtis vandervoetiana {{small|C.K.Schneid.}} – southern China
• Celtis vitiensis {{small|A.C.Sm.}} – Fiji
• Celtis zenkeri {{small|Engl.}} – western, central, and eastern Africa

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• Trema cannabina {{small|Lour.}} (as C. amboinensis {{small|Willd.}})
• Trema lamarckianum {{small|(Schult.) Blume}} (as C. lamarckiana {{small|Schult.}})
• Trema orientalis {{small|(L.) Blume}} (as C. guineensis {{small|Schumach.}} or C. orientalis {{small|L.}})
• Trema tomentosa {{small|(Roxb.) H.Hara}} (as C. aspera {{small|Brongn.}} or C. tomentosa {{small|Roxb.}}){{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?2226 |title=GRIN Species Records of Celtis |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |access-date=2010-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090120113400/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?2226 |archive-date=2009-01-20 |url-status=dead}}

The genus is widespread throughout tropical and temperate parts of the world, occurring on all continents except Antarctica.{{R|POWO|FOA|FOC}}

{{More citations needed section|date=January 2021}}Some species, including common hackberry (C. occidentalis) and C. brasiliensis, are honey plants and a pollen source for honeybees of lesser importance.

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{{Cite web |last=Ravikanthachari |first=Nitin |date=April 2018 |title=Larval host plants of the butterflies of the Western Ghats, India |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324415184 |website=Research Gate}}{{Cite web |last=Wahlberg |first=Niklas |date=October 2006 |title=Libythea myrrha Godart 1819 |url=http://tolweb.org/Libythea_myrrha/70288 |website=Tree of Life Web Project}}
• 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.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. {{doi|10.1017/S147720000500191X}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20081217031406/http://www.bolinfonet.org/pdf/Brower_2006SYSTBIODIVERSITY%5B1%5D.pdf PDF fulltext]{{cite journal |last1=Hebert |first1=P. D. N. |last2=Penton |first2=E. H. |last3=Burns |first3=J. M. |last4=Janzen |first4=D. H. |last5=Hallwachs |first5=W. |year=2004 |title=Ten species in one: DNA barcoding reveals cryptic species in the neotropical skipper butterfly Astraptes fulgerator |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=101 |issue=41 |pages=14812–14817 |bibcode=2004PNAS..10114812H |doi=10.1073/pnas.0406166101 |pmc=522015 |pmid=15465915|doi-access=free }} [http://www.pnas.org/cgi/reprint/101/41/14812.pdf PDF fulltext] [http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/0406166101/DC1 Supporting Appendices]

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

{{More citations needed section|date=January 2021}}

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.{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/277203364 |title=The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants |publisher=Skyhorse Publishing |others=United States Department of the Army |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-60239-692-0 |location=New York |pages=58 |language=en-US |oclc=277203364}} 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.{{Cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/usesofplantsbyin00gilm/page/76/mode/1up |title=Uses of plants by the Indians of the Missouri River region |year=1919 |publisher=Washington, Govt. print. off.}} The berries of C. douglasii are also edible, and were consumed by the Mescalero Apaches.{{cite book |last=Peattie |first=Donald Culross |author-link=Donald C. Peattie |title=A Natural History of Western Trees |year=1953 |publisher=Bonanza Books |location=New York |page=472}}

Hackberry wood is sometimes used in cabinetry and woodworking.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

File:Celtis aetnensis.jpg|C. aetnensis with mature fruit

File:Celtis-caucasica-fruit.JPG|Caucasian hackberry (C.{{Nbsp}}caucasica) with immature fruit

File:Celtis integrifolia.jpg|African hackberry (C.{{Nbsp}}integrifolia)

File:Celtis sinensis=Chinese Hackberry.jpg|Chinese hackberry (C.{{Nbsp}}sinensis)

File:Celtis australis-StSauveur-4925~2015 10 31.JPG|C. australis autumn leaves

{{Reflist|28em|refs=

{{cite web |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30002308-2 |title=Celtis L. |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |year=2024 |access-date=25 July 2024}}

{{cite web |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Celtis |title=Celtis |last1=Hewson |first1=H.J. |year=2022 |editor-last1=Kodela |editor-first1=P.G. |website=Flora of Australia |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra |access-date=25 July 2024}}

{{cite web |title=Celtis Linnaeus |url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=105995 |website=Flora of China (eFloras) |publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA. |access-date=25 July 2024}}

{{Cite book |last1=Cooper |first1=Wendy |last2=Cooper |first2=William T. |author-link2=William T. Cooper |date=June 2004 |title=Fruits of the Australian Tropical Rainforest |publication-place=Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia |publisher=Nokomis Editions |isbn=978-0-9581742-1-3 |url=https://www.nokomis.com.au/product/nokomis-published-books/fruits-australian-tropical-rainforest/ |page=546}}

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• {{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Nettle Tree |volume=19 |page=422|short=x}}

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Category:Plants used in bonsai

Category:Rosales genera