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Celtis australis
Family: Celtidaceae or Cannabaceae (formerly Ulmaceae) Common Name: Nettle Tree (English); Netelboom (Afrikaans).
EXOTIC
Description: This is a medium sized, deciduous tree.
It is very similar in habit to the indigenous white stinkwood (C. africana), but is usually larger and
quicker growing with more coarsely serrated leaves that are rough to the touch above and downy
beneath.
The crown of a mature tree is round and quite neat in appearance.
Male and female flowers are borne on the same tree and pollination is by wind. The reddish
brown fruits are edible, although rather small (about 12 mm in diameter).
Distribution: Native to southern Europe and south-west Asia.
Name derivation: Celtis is an ancient name in the Mediterranean region and was used by Pliny
the Elder (23 AD – 79 AD) for one of the plants reputed to be the lotus fruit of the ancients
(please see notes below). The specific name australis is from the latin “southern”, thus paired
with the generic results in the descriptive phrase “the southern Celtis”.
Ecology and uses: This species tolerates a reasonable amount of frost and is often grown as a
shade tree at roadsides in more temperate regions. In Pretoria, for example, it can be seen along
Arcadia Street.
The wood has been used to make small items, for joinery and charcoal, and the bark yields a
yellow dye.
Cultivation: Easily cultivated from seed, this species has been proposed as a candidate for the
national list of invasive alien plants and, in view of its propensity to hybridise with the indigenous
Celtis africana, is perhaps not that desirable as a specimen in ones garden.
Notes: Hybrids with and between Celtis africana and the exotic species C. australis and C.
sinensis (from Asia) are a problem in and around urban areas and in the nursery industry. There
is some contention regarding the classification of the genus’ relationships at family level.
In Homers Odyssey a people known as the Lotus Eaters (or Lotophagi) would consume the fruit
of the “lotus” which would induce forgetfulness and languor. The exact plant species considered
to have these startling effects is unknown, other contenders for the lotus label are the unrelated
Ziziphus lotus and Diospyros lotus, the fruit of Celtis australis, or related species for that matter,
do not have such effect in reality however, although they are edible, mealy and slightly sweet.
Please note that the name “lotus” has been applied to many diverse plants over the centuries.
The most common current usage is for the sacred lotus (Nelumbo sp.) and the “Egyptian” blue
lotus (Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea) and “Egyptian” white lotus (Nymphaea lotus), all are
aquatic plants grown primarily for their flowers. The last two are African species and found
growing naturally in South Africa.
References:
• Page S., & Olds, M. (editors), 2004. Botanica. The illustrated A-Z of over 10 000 garden
plants and how to cultivate them. Random House Publishers.
• Parker, J., & Malone, M., (editors), 2004. Flora. A Gardeners Encyclopaedia. Briza
Publications, Pretoria.
Web Resources:
Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtis.
and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtis_australis. Site accessed 22/01/2013.
Found in Section G of the Map