Hackberry
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| Hackberry | ||||||||||||
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| Missing image Southern_Hackberry.jpg Southern Hackberry or 'Sugarberry' Celtis laevigata | ||||||||||||
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About 60-70 species including: |
Hackberry Celtis is a genus of about 60-70 species of deciduous trees widespread in warm temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, in southern Europe, southern and eastern Asia, and southern and central North America. They are generally medium-sized trees, reaching 10-25 m tall, rarely up to 40 m tall.
Previously included either in the elm family Ulmaceae or their own family the Celtidaceae, genetic analysis by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group has shown they are best placed in the hemp family Cannabaceae.
The leaves are alternate, simple, 3-15 cm long, ovate-acuminate with a long pointed tip, and evenly serrated margins.
The fruit is a small drupe 6-10 mm diameter, edible in many species, with a dryish but sweet, sugary consistency, reminiscent of a date.
Illustration_Celtis_australis0.jpg