Celtis australis
L. European Nettle-treeBroad-crowned tree to c. 20 m high. Bark smooth, grey. Leaves obliquely ovate-lanceolate, mostly 8-12 cm long but variable, usually less than half as wide as long; apex acuminate; base cuneate to rounded; margins serrate or bi-serrate from apex to below widest part of leaf; upper surface with scattered to mid-dense tubercle-based hairs; lower surface rather densely and evenly pilose; main lateral veins usually curved slightly away from margin; petiole 1-2 cm long. Perianth lobes 5 or 6, free, ovate, irregularly toothed, membranous, 2-3 mm long. Male flowers in few-flowered clusters in lower axils of inflorescence, anthers subsessile, c. 1 mm long. Bisexual flowers solitary in upper axils; paired stigmatic lobes 2-3 mm long. Drupe globose, c. 1 cm diam., maturing from green through yellow to reddish-purple; fruiting pedicel 1.5-3 cm long. Flowers early spring; fruits mostly mid-summer to early autumn.
MuM, VVP, GipP, NIS. Also naturalised NSW, ACT. Native to the Meditteranean region of Europe and western Asia. Grown for ornament and occasionally escaping, the seeds probably spread by birds. Recorded as weakly naturalised near Red Cliffs in the far north-west, and Myrtleford in the north-east.
Spinning
