in botany: A genus of the monoeica order, belonging to the polygamia clas of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 53d order, Scabridae. It is a hermaphrodite plant: The female calyx is quinquepartite; there is no corolla; there are five stamens, and two styles. The fruit is a monospermous plum. In the male, there is no calyx: the corolla is hexapetalous; there are six stamens, and an embryo of a pistillum. There are three species, all of them deciduous, viz.

1. The Australis or Southern Celtis, a deciduous tree, native of Africa and the South of Europe. 2. The Occidentalis or Western Celtis, a native of Virginia. And 3. The Orientalis or Eastern Celtis, a native of Armenia. The two first species grow with large, fair, straight stems; their branches are numerous and diffuse; their bark is of a darkish grey colour; their leaves are of a pleasant green; three or four inches long, deeply serrated, end in a narrow point, nearly resemble the leaves of the common stinging-nettle, and continue on the trees till late in the autumn: So that one may easily conceive what an agreeable variety these trees would make. Add to this, their shade is admirable. The leaves are late in the spring before they show themselves; but they make amends for this, by retaining their verdure till near the close of autumn, and then do not resemble most deciduous trees, whose leaves show their approaching fall by the change of their colour; but continue to exhibit themselves of a pleasant green even to the last. Hanbury speaks highly of the celtis as a timber-tree: he says, "The wood of the Lote-tree is extremely durable. In Italy they Celtis make their flutes, pipes, and other wind-instruments of it." With us the coach-makers use it for the frames of their vehicles." Millar mentions also the wood of the Occidentalis being used by the coach-makers. The third species will grow to about twelve feet; and the branches are numerous, smooth, and of a greenish colour. The leaves are smaller than those of the other sorts, though they are of a thicker texture, and of a lighter green. The flowers come out from the wings of the leaves, on slender footstalks: They are yellowish, appear early in the spring, and are succeeded by large yellow fruit.

Propagation, &c. All the species are propagated from seeds, which ripen in England, if they have a favourable autumn; but the foreign seeds are the most certain of producing a crop. These seeds should be sown, soon after they are ripe, either in boxes, or in a fine warm border of rich earth, a quarter of an inch deep; and in the following spring many of the young plants will appear; though a great part often lie till the second spring before they show their heads. If the seeds in the beds shoot early in the spring, they should be hooped, and protected by mats from the frosts, which would nip them in the bud. When all danger from frosts is over, the mats should be laid aside till the parching beams of the sun get powerful; when, in the day-time, they may be laid over the hoops again, to screen the plants from injury. The mats should be constantly taken off every night, and the young plants should never be covered either in rainy or cloudy weather. During the whole summer, these seedlings should be frequently watered in dry weather, and the beds kept clean of weeds, &c. In the autumn, they must be protected from the frosts, which often come early in that season, and would not fail to destroy their tops. The like care should be continued all winter to defend them from the same enemies. In this seminary they may remain, being kept clean of weeds and watered in dry weather, till the end of June, when they should be taken out of their beds, and planted in others at six inches distance. And here let no one (continues Hanbury) be startled at my recommending the month of June for this work; for I have found by repeated experience, that the plants will be then almost certain of growing, and will continue their shoots till the autumn; whereas I have ever perceived, that many of those planted in March have frequently perished, and that those which did grow made hardly any shoot that year, and showed the early figure of a felled tree. In June, therefore, let the ground be well dug, and prepared for this work; and let the mould be rich and good: But the operation of removing must be deferred till rain comes; and if the season should be dry, this work may be postponed till the middle of July. After a shower, therefore, or a night's rain, let the plants be taken out of their beds, and pricked out at six inches distance from each other. After this, the beds in which they are planted should be hooped, and covered with mats when the sun shines; but these must always be taken away at night, as well as in rainy or cloudy weather. With this management, they will have shot to a good height by the autumn, and have acquired so much hardiness and strength as to need no farther care than to be kept clear Cement clear of weeds for two or three years; when they may be planted out in places where they are to remain, or set in the nursery, to be trained up for large standards. The best season for planting out these standard trees is the latter end of October, or beginning of November; and in performing that operation, the usual rules must be observed with care. The soil for the lote-tree should be light, and in good heart; and the situation ought to be well defended, the young shoots being very liable to be destroyed by the winter's frosts.