Lot, or Nettle-tree; a genus of the monoeia order, belonging to the polygamia class of plants. There are three species, all of them hardy deciduous trees, with leaves somewhat resembling the common nettle, proper for ornamental plantations, and two of them also proper for forest-trees. 1. The australis rises with a large upright stem, and very branchy head, to the height of 40 or 50 feet, garnished with large spear-shaped, pointed, and deeply serrated leaves, with greenish flowers produced in May from the sides of the branches; succeeded by round black fruit, of the size of a black-berry. It is a native of the southern parts of Europe. 2. The occidentalis is a native of America, and hath a large upright stem, with a very branchy head like the former; grows to the height of 40 or 50 feet; with large, oval, sharp-pointed, and deeply sawed oblique leaves; greenish flowers from the sides of the branches in May, succeeded by purple fruit of the size of large peas. 3. The orientalis was discovered by Dr Tournefort in America. It rises with an upright stem, dividing into many spreading, greenish branches, ten or twelve feet high; small, oval, heart-shaped, serrated, oblique leaves; yellowish flowers from the sides of the branches in the spring, succeeded by large, oval, yellow fruit. There are several varieties of each sort, with bloached leaves. They may be propagated by seeds, but the bloached-leaved kinds only by layers, cuttings, grafting, &c. The seeds ought to be sown in autumn, and covered with earth half an inch deep. When the plants appear, they will require to be sheltered by mats from the cold.