Celtis australis

European hackberry (Celtis australis)

The European hackberry or nettle tree Southern (Celtis australis) is a medium sized tree with mostly smooth Stammborke, sturdy leaves and edible drupes. The plant belongs to the genus of nettle trees (Celtis ), which was previously attributed to the family of the elm family ( Ulmaceae ), according to recent findings, but in the the hemp family ( Cannabaceae ) is classified. He is often imprecisely called simply " hackberry ", although the genus belonging to about 100 species. The natural range of the species extends over the south of Europe, parts of Africa and Turkey. The German name hackberry comes from South Tyrol, where the fruits Zürgeln known and used in baked goods and desserts. The hard but elastic wood was used for making musical instruments, wagon wheels and rowing.

Description

The European nettle tree is a 10 to 25 meter high tree with wide protruding crown. The Stammborke is gray and smooth and tears only at older ages scaly on. The shoots are hairy. The leaves are arranged opposite one another. The petiole is hairy 5 to 10 millimeters long and fluffy. The leaf blade is massive and somewhat leathery, elliptic -oblong, rarely from 4 usually 7 to 13 rarely to 20 inches long and from 1 usually 2 to 4 and rarely up to 6 inches wide, acuminate to broadly wedge -shaped or rounded, slate base and almost to the base of sharp serrated leaf edge. The upper leaf surface is dark green and rough through the short, stiff hair, the bottom is hairy gray-green and soft.

The flowers are monoecious distributed and predominantly hermaphrodite. The flowers grow singly in leaf axils and appear with the leaves. On young branches also occur unisexual male flowers into bunches. The flowers are pale yellow-green to blue-green, finely hairy and long stalks. The perianth is running four to sechszählig and brownish. There shall be four to six short stamens. The ovary is bottle-shaped, up to 1.4 inches long and thus at least twice as long as the rest of the flower. The scar is white, forked and spring-like. The fruits are globular, 1 to 1.2 centimeters by measuring, at first yellowish-white and violet-brown to maturity, sweet and edible drupes up to 3 centimeters long stems. The stone core has numerous wells. The European nettle tree blooms from March to May the fruits ripen in September.

Distribution and habitat requirements

The natural range is in Europe in Portugal, in Spain with the Balearic Islands, Corsica in France, in Italy ( with Sardinia and Sicily) and on the Balkan peninsula from Slovenia to Greece; in Africa in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, and Turkey. In Switzerland, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Australia, and in California the species has naturalized. The European nettle tree grows in steppes and dry forests on moderately dry to moderately moist, slightly acidic to alkaline, sandy- loamy to loamy, nutrient-rich soils in sunny hot locations. The species is sensitive to frost and kalkliebend. The distribution area is the hardiness zone 6b associated with mean annual minimum temperatures -20.5 to -17.8 ° C ( -5 ° to 0 ° F).

System

The European hackberry (Celtis australis ) is a species of the genus of the nettle trees (Celtis ) in the hemp family ( Cannabaceae ). Previously, the species of the family Elm Family ( Ulmaceae ) has been allocated. It was described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum first time scientifically. The genus name comes from the Latin Celtis, celthis or celtis was by Pliny in Africa occurring greenhouse called, probably the kind described here Celtis australis. The specific epithet australis also comes from Latin and means south. The word is derived from oyster, the Latin word for a south wind.

Use

The wood of the European Zürgelbaums is tough and elastic. It was used for making musical instruments, wagon wheels, oars, fishing rods and whip handles. The tree is thus referred to in some areas as " whip tree". The fruits of Zürgelbaums be used in South Tyrol for desserts and baked goods. The fruits are known there Zürgeln, also the German name hackberry comes from South Tyrol. In Central Europe the species is not fully hardy, it is therefore only in heat- favored areas in parks and gardens as an ornamental plant, rarely used as a street tree.

Swell