IAWA Bulletin Ns, Vol. 4 (2-3),1983 79 INTERVASCULAR PIT

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

IAWA Bulletin Ns, Vol. 4 (2-3),1983 79 INTERVASCULAR PIT IAWA Bulletin n.s., Vol. 4 (2-3),1983 79 INTERVASCULAR PIT MEMBRANES IN ULMUS AND CELTIS NATIVE TO THE UNITED STATES· by E. A. Wheeler Department of Wood and Paper Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27650, U.S.A. Summary Intervascular pit membranes in Ulmus ameri­ Studies to date have resulted in the generali­ cana L. resemble those of other dicotyledons as sation that the membranes in bordered pit pairs they are ofunifonn thickness, lack visible open­ of dicotyledons exhibit primary wall texture, ings, and have randomly arranged microfibrils. that is, they have randomly arranged micro­ In contrast, some of the intervascular pit mem­ fibrils, lack visible openings, and are of unifonn branes in U. alata Michx. , U. thomasii Sarg., thickness (Panshin & DeZeeuw, 1980; Schmid, Celtis laevigata Willd., C occidentalis L., and 1965). This generalisation is based on examina­ C reticulata Torr. have a central thickened re­ tion with the transmission electron microscope gion, a torus. Evidence from ultrathin sections of fewer than a dozen species of angiospenns. suggests such thickenings are fonned primarily In contrast, the intertracheary pit membranes in vascular tracheids. Microfibrils are clearly of conifers generally are differentiated into a visible in the membranes in the outer sapwood central thickened region, the torus, and periph­ of U. americana, U. alata, and C laevigata , while erally, a margo with radiating strands of micro­ in the inner sapwood, encrustives are present fibrils and often openings readily seen with the on some membranes. There is variation in how electron microscope. There exists variation in infilled and thickened the heartwood mem­ how well defined the torus is and how large the branes are. The variability in pit membrane ap­ gaps, if any, in the margo are, but Bauch et al. pearance in these U. S. species of Ulmaceae fur­ (1972) found that of the 47 conifer genera ther indicates that the structure of intervascular they examined only Thuja and Thujopsis con­ pit membranes is more diverse than previously tained pit membranes without obvious central recognised. thickening. They referred to such pits as being of the 'hardwood type'. The pit membranes of Introduction the gymnospennous groupsCycadales, Gnetales In wood, liquid primarily moves from vessel and Ginkgoales also lack torus-margo differen­ to vessel or from tracheid to tracheid through tiation (Liese, 1965). bordered pit pairs. Consequently, pit structure, There have been three recent reports of pit particularly pit membrane structure, affects membranes with a central thickened area in water transport in the living tree, the drying of angiospenns. Parameswaran and Liese (1981) lumber and its treatment with preservatives, found torus-like thickenings in the pit mem­ and has been studied by both botanists and branes of interfibre pits in Prunus and Pyrus wood technologists (e.g. Bailey, 1913; Cote, (Rosaceae). Ohtani and Ishida (1978) described 1958; Schmid, 1965; Bauch et aI., 1972; Bon­ the occurrence of intervessel pit membranes ner & Thomas, 1972; Meylan & Butterfield, with a torus in three species of Daphne and 1982). The accepted definition of a pit is 'a four species of Osman thus (Oleaceae). Parame­ recess in the secondary wall of a cell, together swaran and Gomes (1981) described a torus-like with its external closing membrane' (IAWA, region in intervessel pits of Ligustrum, another 1964). Generally, two complementary pits are member of the Oleaceae. fonned in adjacent cells resulting in a pit pair. During the course of a study whose purpose Bordered pits are characterised by the second­ is to characterise the fine structure of sapwood ary wall overarching the pit membrane. The and heartwood of some dicotyledonous trees primary walls of the two adjacent cells and the of the southeastern United States (Thomas, middle lamella are considered to fonn the basic 1976; Wheeler & Thomas, 1981; Wheeler, 1981, structure of the pit membrane. 1982), pit membranes with a central thickened • Paper No. 8634 of the JourfialSeries of the Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, North Caro­ lina, U.S.A. 80 IAWA Bulletin n.s., Vol. 4 (2-3),1983 area were observed in Ulmus alata Michx. and with platinum at an angle of approximately 20° Celtis laevigata WiIld. (Ulmaceae). This paper in a high vacuum evaporator prior to examina­ describes the intervascular pit membranes from tion with a Siemens Elmiskop electron micro­ the sapwood and heartwood of U. americana, scope. U. alata, and C laevigata and further documents To ascertain if torus-like thickenings were of greater variability in dicotyledonous pit mem­ more general occurrence within the Ulmaceae branes than previously recognised. Intervascular direct carbon replicas (DCR's) were prepared pit membranes from the sapwood of Ulmus from sapwood samples ofU. S. Celtis and Ulmus thomasii, Celtis occidentalis, and C reticulata available in the David A. Kribs Collection at are also described. N.C. State University. All samples are herba­ There are six tree species of Ulmus native to rium vouchered (US, A) and were collected as the United States, all naturally restricted to the part of Project I of the State University of New eastern United States. Of the six species of Cel­ York, Syracuse (xylarium abbreviation: BWCw). tis naturally occurring in the United States, on­ The goal of Project I was to collect samples of ly C laevigata and C occidentalis of the eastern all tree species native to the U. S. and each sam­ U. S. frequently become large enough to pro­ ple is accompanied by data on the site, tree size duce marketable timber (Elias, 1980). Woods and vigour. Specimens with sapwood are Ulmus of the Ulmaceae native to the U. S. are described americana: BWCw 8014, U. thomasii: BWCw as distinctive as they are ring-porous with the 8024, Celtis laevigata var. texana: BWCw 8690, late wood pores arranged in wavy tangential C occidentalis: BWCw 8159, C reticulata (na­ (ulmiform) bands. Vascular tracheids are asso­ tive to the western U. S.): BWCw 8580, 8667. ciated with the vessel elements. This cell type is As examination of ultrathin sections indi­ described as 'an imperforate cell resembling cated the torus was formed primarily in vascu­ in form and position a small vessel member' lar tracheids, samples of all species listed above (lAW A, 1964).' CarIquist (1961) refers to vas­ were macerated to see if there was a correlation cular tracheids as 'degenerate vessel elements'. between frequency of vascular tracheids and Details of the wood anatomy of tree species of presence of a torus. Samples were macerated Ulmus and Celtis native to the U.S. are discus­ by placing them in a solution of equal parts of sed in a separate paper (Wheeler, ms. in prep.). hydrogen peroxide and glacial acetic acid and warming them for 2-3 days in a 50°C oven. Materials and Methods Wood samples were obtained from the dia­ Observations meter breast height region of one mature tree Ulmus americana L. (American Elm) - All each of Ulmus americana L., U. alata Michx., intervascular pit membranes in the outer sap­ and Celtis laevigata WiIld. felled specifically for wood had randomly arranged micro fibrils, no this study. Direct carbon replicas (Cote et aI., visible openings (Fig. I) and were of uniform 1964) of tangential and radial surfaces of (I) thickness (Fig. 2). In air-dried preparations the the outermost two growth rings-the area in microfibrils appeared somewhat coarser than in which most water conduction in the standing the solvent-dried preparations. At times, the tree would occur; (2) inner sapwood-the area membrane had aspirated and the imprint of the with living parenchyma cells (as determined by aperture was noticeable. staining for starch with 12 KI), but with little or In the inner sapwood (ring 6) most mem­ no water conduction; (3) heartwood just to the branes looked as they did in the outer sapwood. inside of the sapwood-heartwood boundary; and However, encrusting materials had begun to ac­ (4) heartwood approximately one inch from cumulate in some; microfibrils were completely the pith. In U. alata the heartwood zone was obscured or deposits were confined to a central not large, so no distinction was made between area beneath the aperture (Fig. 3). inner and outer heartwood. Prior to replication, In the outer heartwood, a few un encrusted the wood was either air-dried or solvent-dried pit membranes with microfibrils as distinct as by being placed for one week in methanol fol­ in the sapwood were observed. Others were lowed by one week in acetone in a soxhlet ex­ completely coated by deposits and there often tracting apparatus prior to drying. Solvent dry­ appeared to be a concentration of material at ing prevents displacement of the pit membrane the position corresponding to the pit aperture to one side of the pit chamber as would occur (Fig. 4). In the inner heartwood, all membranes during air-drying (Thomas & Nicholas, 1966). had encrustives to some degree. The outline of Ultrathin sections were prepared from never­ the aperture was apparent in both solvent-dried dried, air-dried, and solvent-dried wood embed­ and air-dried samples. The appearance of the ded in a mixture of n-butyl and methylmetha­ encfustives on some membranes (Fig. 4, and crylate (75: 25). These sections were shadowed see also Figs. 9 & 17) indicates that extractives .
Recommended publications
  • Some Native Hill Country Trees Other Than Oaks
    Some Native Hill Country Trees Other Than Oaks Several weeks ago I wrote about the Hill Country oaks in this column. There are, however a number of common, large, native trees that are not oaks. Here are some of them. Bald cypress ( Taxodium distichum ) is common along the banks of the Guadalupe and its tributaries as well as many other streams in the Hill Country. It is unusual for a conifer (cone-bearing) tree to be deciduous (loses its leaves in the winter) which is why it is called a bald cypress. These trees were highly prized for the durability of the wood for making shingles, which led to the settlement of Kerrville. They are fast growing, and generally the largest trees in the Hill Country. Cedar elm ( Ulmus crassifolia ) is an elm with very small, stiff, rough leaves. It is common throughout the Hill Country where it appears to be equally at home on limestone soils or acidic soils. It flowers and sets seed in late summer, which is unusual, and, because not much is blooming then, it attracts many native bees when flowering. Its leaves turn yellow in the fall. Two other species of elms grow in the Hill Country, although they are not nearly as common as cedar elms. American elm ( Ulmus americana ) and Slippery elm ( Ulmus rubra ) are both large trees with large leaves and are usually found in riparian areas. Escarpment black cherry ( Prunus serotina var. eximia ) is a Hill Country native cherry with thin, soft leaves that turn yellow in the fall. The tiny white flowers are produced on stalks in the spring, followed by tiny cherries for the birds.
    [Show full text]
  • Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Fort Bowie National Historic Site Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Fort Bowie National Historic Site
    Powell, Schmidt, Halvorson In Cooperation with the University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Fort Bowie National Historic Site Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Fort Bowie National Historic Site Plant and Vertebrate Vascular U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center 2255 N. Gemini Drive Flagstaff, AZ 86001 Open-File Report 2005-1167 Southwest Biological Science Center Open-File Report 2005-1167 February 2007 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey National Park Service In cooperation with the University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Fort Bowie National Historic Site By Brian F. Powell, Cecilia A. Schmidt , and William L. Halvorson Open-File Report 2005-1167 December 2006 USGS Southwest Biological Science Center Sonoran Desert Research Station University of Arizona U.S. Department of the Interior School of Natural Resources U.S. Geological Survey 125 Biological Sciences East National Park Service Tucson, Arizona 85721 U.S. Department of the Interior DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Mark Myers, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2006 For product and ordering information: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web:http://www.usgs.gov Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS Suggested Citation Powell, B. F, C. A. Schmidt, and W. L. Halvorson. 2006. Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of Fort Bowie National Historic Site.
    [Show full text]
  • Sugarberry Plant Fact Sheet
    Plant Fact Sheet Wildlife: Many species of songbirds including SUGARBERRY mockingbirds and robins eat the fruit and use the tree for nesting habitat. It is a larval and nectar host for two Celtis laevigata Willd. butterflies: hackberry emperor (Asterocampa celtis) and Plant Symbol = CELA American snout (Libytheana carineta). White-tailed deer browse the leaves and fruit. Contributed by: USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program Other Uses: Sugarberry is used for furniture, athletic goods, firewood, and plywood. It has limited use for flooring, creating, and for wood posts. It is used as an ornamental and as a street tree in residential areas in the lower South Status Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values). Description and Adaptation Sugarberry is a native tree that can grow up to 80 feet in height and up to 3 feet in diameter. It is a short lived tree, probably living not more than 150 years. It has a broad crown formed by spreading branches that are often drooped. The bark is light gray in color and can be smooth or covered with corky warts. The branchlets are covered with short hairs at first and eventually they become smooth. The leaves are alternated, simple, and slightly serrate. The leaves are 2-4 inches long and 1 to 2 Robert H. Mohlenbrock. USDA SCS, 1989. Midwest wetland flora: inches wide. The lance-shaped leaves gradually taper to a Field office illustrated guide to plant species.
    [Show full text]
  • Sugarberry Dieback and Mortality Is an Expanding Forest Health Challenge Facing the Southern United States
    United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Southern Region State and Private Forestry R8–PR–02–19 December 2019 diseases involving phytoplasmas, which are pathogenic bacteria Sugarberry dieback and found in the phloem that are primarily moved by phloem- feeding insects. Phytoplasma species are known to be mortality associated with the dieback of European hackberry and the presence of phytoplasmas and their potential role in sugarberry Introduction dieback and mortality are a major focus of current investigations. Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata) is a common native tree up to 80 ft tall that is found throughout much of the South, ranging from southeastern Virginia to South Florida and west to central Texas. High rates of sugarberry mortality were first reported in Columbia, South Carolina in 2009. The issue has since expanded westward beyond the Savannah River and eastward to the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia (Fig. 1). Although mortality is most conspicuous in urban and residential areas, large numbers of sugarberry are dying in forested areas as well. This is by far the most severe and widespread episode of Celtis mortality known from the United States and the cause remains unknown. Symptoms Fig. 1. Map showing known affected locations. Colors represent Affected trees show progressive crown deterioration. Crown density of sugarberry (blue) and hackberry (green) in the thinning often begins at branch tips but ultimately spreads southeastern U.S. throughout the crown. Foliage of affected trees is typically chlorotic and stunted (Fig. 2A). The phloem, as visible beneath the bark of both the main stem and roots, is often brown in symptomatic trees (Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Contribution to the Biosystematics of Celtis L. (Celtidaceae) with Special Emphasis on the African Species
    Contribution to the biosystematics of Celtis L. (Celtidaceae) with special emphasis on the African species Ali Sattarian I Promotor: Prof. Dr. Ir. L.J.G. van der Maesen Hoogleraar Plantentaxonomie Wageningen Universiteit Co-promotor Dr. F.T. Bakker Universitair Docent, leerstoelgroep Biosystematiek Wageningen Universiteit Overige leden: Prof. Dr. E. Robbrecht, Universiteit van Antwerpen en Nationale Plantentuin, Meise, België Prof. Dr. E. Smets Universiteit Leiden Prof. Dr. L.H.W. van der Plas Wageningen Universiteit Prof. Dr. A.M. Cleef Wageningen Universiteit Dr. Ir. R.H.M.J. Lemmens Plant Resources of Tropical Africa, WUR Dit onderzoek is uitgevoerd binnen de onderzoekschool Biodiversiteit. II Contribution to the biosystematics of Celtis L. (Celtidaceae) with special emphasis on the African species Ali Sattarian Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor op gezag van rector magnificus van Wageningen Universiteit Prof. Dr. M.J. Kropff in het openbaar te verdedigen op maandag 26 juni 2006 des namiddags te 16.00 uur in de Aula III Sattarian, A. (2006) PhD thesis Wageningen University, Wageningen ISBN 90-8504-445-6 Key words: Taxonomy of Celti s, morphology, micromorphology, phylogeny, molecular systematics, Ulmaceae and Celtidaceae, revision of African Celtis This study was carried out at the NHN-Wageningen, Biosystematics Group, (Generaal Foulkesweg 37, 6700 ED Wageningen), Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University, the Netherlands. IV To my parents my wife (Forogh) and my children (Mohammad Reza, Mobina) V VI Contents ——————————— Chapter 1 - General Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2 - Evolutionary Relationships of Celtidaceae ..................................................................... 7 R. VAN VELZEN; F.T. BAKKER; A. SATTARIAN & L.J.G. VAN DER MAESEN Chapter 3 - Phylogenetic Relationships of African Celtis (Celtidaceae) ........................................
    [Show full text]
  • Hackberry/Sugarberry FNR-284-W Daniel L
    PURDUE EXTENSION Hardwood Lumber and Veneer Series Hackberry/Sugarberry FNR-284-W Daniel L. Cassens, Professor and Extension Wood Products Specialist Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 This lumber group is composed of two species that cannot be separated once they are processed into lumber or veneer. Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis L.) ranges from the Great Plaines to the east coast and from the Great Lakes states to central Tennessee and Arkansas. It is easily recognized by its very warty bark. Hackberry prefers moist, well-drained soil but will grow on limestone outcrops and other droughty areas. It is usually a scattered tree in the forest or more concentrated in old fence rows and at the edge of woods. Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata Willd.) is the southern counterpart to hackberry. It ranges from Virginia to southern Florida and west to the Rio Grande and north to southern Illinois and Indiana. Sugarberry is a southern bottomland species, and the bark is less warty. Both species are medium sized trees 60 to 80 feet tall and 18 inches to 4 feet in diameter. The largest hackberry reported is 6.6 feet in diameter and the largest sugarberry is 8.5 feet in diameter at 4½ feet above the ground. Wood Color and Texture The sapwood is usually a very light yellowish green and wide in healthy trees. A variegated brown wood can develop in the heart and around dead branch stubs. Chip Morrison Dark streaks of mineral are common. As a white Hackberry tree sapwood species, the wood develops both fungal and oxidation stains very quickly in warm weather.
    [Show full text]
  • Vegetation Community Monitoring at Ocmulgee National Monument, 2011
    National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Vegetation Community Monitoring at Ocmulgee National Monument, 2011 Natural Resource Data Series NPS/SECN/NRDS—2014/702 ON THE COVER Duck potato (Sagittaria latifolia) at Ocmulgee National Monument. Photograph by: Sarah C. Heath, SECN Botanist. Vegetation Community Monitoring at Ocmulgee National Monument, 2011 Natural Resource Data Series NPS/SECN/NRDS—2014/702 Sarah Corbett Heath1 Michael W. Byrne2 1USDI National Park Service Southeast Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network Cumberland Island National Seashore 101 Wheeler Street Saint Marys, Georgia 31558 2USDI National Park Service Southeast Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network 135 Phoenix Road Athens, Georgia 30605 September 2014 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science office in Fort Collins, Colorado, publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Data Series is intended for the timely release of basic data sets and data summaries. Care has been taken to assure accuracy of raw data values, but a thorough analysis and interpretation of the data has not been completed. Consequently, the initial analyses of data in this report are provisional and subject to change. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner.
    [Show full text]
  • Preliminary Checklist of the Terrestrial Flora and Fauna of Fern Cave
    Preliminary Checklist of the Terrestrial Flora and Fauna of Fern Cave National Wildlife Refuge ______________________________________________ Prepared for: United States Fish & Wildlife Service Prepared by: J. Kevin England, MAT David Richardson, MS Completed: as of 22 Sep 2019 All rights reserved. Phone: 256-565-4933 Email: [email protected] Flora & Fauna of FCNWR2 ABSTRACT I.) Total Biodiversity Data The main objective of this study was to inventory and document the total biodiversity of terrestrial habitats located at Fern Cave National Wildlife Refuge (FCNWR). Table 1. Total Biodiversity of Fern Cave National Wildlife Refuge, Jackson Co., AL, USA Level of Classification Families Genera Species Lichens and Allied Fungi 14 21 28 Bryophytes (Bryophyta, Anthocerotophyta, Marchantiophyta) 7 9 9 Vascular Plants (Tracheophytes) 76 138 176 Insects (Class Insecta) 9 9 9 Centipedes (Class Chilopoda) 1 1 1 Millipedes (Class Diplopoda) 2 3 3 Amphibians (Class Amphibia) 3 4 5 Reptiles (Class Reptilia) 2 3 3 Birds (Class Aves) 1 1 1 Mammals (Class Mammalia) 2 2 2 Total 117 191 237 II. Vascular Flora (Appendix 3) Methods and Materials To compile a thorough vascular flora survey, several examples of different plant communities at numerous sites were visited and sampled during the study. Approximately 45 minutes was spent documenting community structure at each site. Lastly, all habitats, ecological systems, and plant associations found within the property boundaries were defined based on floristic content, soil characteristics (soil maps) and other abiotic factors. Flora & Fauna of FCNWR3 The most commonly used texts for specimen identification in this study were Flora of North America (1993+), Mohr (1901), Radford et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Report Appendices
    LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A: Acknowledgements Appendix B: Planning Team Structure Appendix C: Project Timeline Appendix D: Map Units in the GCP&M Ecoregion Appendix E: Portfolio of Conservation Areas in the GCP&M Ecoregion Appendix F: Conservation Element Selection Criteria Appendix G: Terrestrial Systems Appendix H: Freshwater Aquatic Ecological Systems Appendix I: Viable Conservation Element Occurrences--Progress Towards Portfolio Goals Appendix J: Definitions of Rarity Appendix K: Geographic Distribution of Elements Appendix L: Spatial Scale of Elements Appendix M: Viability Guidelines Appendix N: Conservation Goal Default Numbers Appendix O: Method of Portfolio Assembly Appendix P: Viable Conservation Element Occurrences by Taxa Type in the Portfolio Appendix Q: Portfolio Conservation Areas with Captured Elements Appendix R: Functional Landscapes, Sites and Biological Richness Appendix S: List of Data Gaps APPENDIX A ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The successful completion of the ecoregional conservation plan for the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes would not have been possible without the diligent, flexible, and concerted effort of the numerous individuals who assisted along the way as members of the ecoregional planning team and in other capacities. Of particular note have been the contributions of members of the Core Team who devoted large amounts of time, sometimes under duress, toward the completion of this report: Jorge Brenner, Bill Carr, Amalie Couvillion, Troy Ettel, Steve Gilbert, Ray Johnson, Richard Martin, Latimore Smith, and David Wolfe. Special thanks go to Amalie Couvillon who kept momentum going when no one else would or could. In addition, Steve Gilbert went the “extra yard” regarding data management and GIS analysis with committed and positive spirit.
    [Show full text]
  • Celtis Laevigata.Indd
    Celtis laevigata (Sugar Hackberry) Elm Family (Ulmaceae) Introduction: Sugar hackberry is used commonly as a shade tree because it is both handsome and tolerant of urban stresses. It has smooth gray bark that may become somewhat corky with age. Although this native of the southeast U.S. thrives in the wild along stream banks and river fl ood plains, it adapts well to dry conditions. Its abundant berries attract birds and squirrels. Culture: Sugar hackberry is a good street due to its drought tolerance. Given adequate room to spread, it is also an excellent shade tree for home landscapes and parks. It is a tough tree that withstands urban stress, low temperatures and dry soils. Sugar hackberry thrives in moist soils, especially the clay soils of river fl ood plains and streams where it is native. Sugar hackberry can be a short-lived tree. Its weak wood breaks under the stresses of snow, ice and wind. Wildlife, particularly birds and squirrels, enjoy and seek out hackberry’s nutritious berries. However, these abundant berries can develop abundant seedlings that can be a weed pest. Berries exude a sweet, sticky substance in fall that attracts mealy bugs who in turn secrete “honeydew,” a relatively harmless sugary excretion, on the tree. The tree Botanical Characteristics: may become infested with tiny insects called psyllids that cause harmless protrusions on the leaves called hackberry Native habitat - Southeast U.S. including western galls. Sugar hackberry is resistant to Verticillium wilt. It Kentucky. is susceptible to “witch’s broom” that can disfi gure the branches, but does not seriously affect the health of the tree.
    [Show full text]
  • Celtis 'Magnifica''magnifica' 'Magnifica''magnifica' Hackberryhackberry
    CeltisCeltis 'Magnifica''Magnifica' 'Magnifica''Magnifica' HackberryHackberry Celtis ‘Magnifica’ (‘Magnifica’ Hackberry, synonym: Celtis occidentalis ‘Magnifica’) is a cross between Celtis occidentalis and Celtis laevigataand was discovered by Princeton Nurseries in New Jersey in 1983. The selection grows faster than both of its parents, suffers less from plagues and disease (particularly witch’s brooms and leaf gall), but due to its origins from the Celtis laevigata, it is less winter-hardy, and only reaches up to winterhardiness zone 5A. The crown is wide, egg-shaped and dense, takes on a vase shape at an older age due to its outermost branches that form beautiful arches, and is similar to the crown of the Ulmus americana. The ‘Magnifica’ Hackberry grows up to 15 metres high and 12 metres wide. Its decorative bark with cork and beautiful hanging twigs stand out, even in young specimens of Celtis‘Magnifica’. The tree blooms discrete, white-green flowers in late April, early May. The egg-shaped, serrate, rough leaves are a bright green with a slightly matte underside, and turn a warm yellow in autumn. At the end of September, small, edible stonefruits appear that go from red-violet to almost black later on, which will stay on the tree until deep into winter. However, Celtis‘Magnifica’ bears far fewer of these than its parents, which can be seen as a major advantage when planting the species in public spaces. Like its parents, the ‘Magnifica’ Hackberry can handle heat, drought and strong (coastal) winds very well. But it can also handle pavement, air pollution, salt spray and compaction, making the selection very well suited to use in challenging locations, such as streets and avenues, car parks, industrial areas and along roads.
    [Show full text]
  • Celtis Laevigata Wild. Sugarberry
    Celtis laevigata Wild. Sugarberry Ulmaceae Elm family Harvey E. Kennedy, Jr. Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata), a common medium- is planted as an ornamental and as a street tree in size tree of moderate to fast growth, is most often residential areas in the lower South. found on clay soils of broad flats or shallow sloughs within the flood plains of major southern rivers. It is Habitat also called sugar hackberry, hackberry, Texas sugar- berry, southern hackberry, and lowland hackberry. Native Range Sugarberry is short lived, probably not living more than 150 years. The wood is of medium strength and Sugarberry (figs. 1, 2) ranges south from hardness and much of the light yellow wood is used southeastern Virginia to southern Florida, west to by furniture manufacturers. The abundant crops of central Texas and northeastern Mexico, and north to fruits are eaten by wildlife, especially birds. The tree western Oklahoma, southern Kansas, Missouri, Figure l-The native range of sugarberry. The author is Principal Silviculturist, Southern Forest Experiment Station, New Orleans, LA. 258 Celtis laevigata Soils and Topography Sugarberry is most common on Inceptisols and En- tisols found in broad flats or shallow sloughs within flood plains of major southern rivers (9), but will grow under a considerable range of soil and moisture conditions. It is widely distributed on bottom lands except in deep swamps and is found to a minor ex- tent on upland sites. It is also common on deep moist soils derived from limestones, notably in the Black Belt of Alabama (10). Associated Forest Cover Sugarberry appears with the following forest cover types (11): Cottonwood (Society of American Foresters Type 63), Sweetgum-Willow Oak (Type 921, Sugarberry-American Elm-Green Ash (Type 931, Sycamore-Sweetgum-American Elm (Type 941, Black Willow (Type 95), and Overcup Oak-Water Hickory (Type 96).
    [Show full text]