Celtis
Celtis luzonica
Family: Cannabaceae
What it is like
A large tree. It grows up to 40 m tall. The trunk is 1 m across and long, and tapers to a narrow crown. The trunk often has buttresses. The bark is 1.2 cm thick. It is smooth, except for some blisters and some ridges running across the trunk. The inner bark has a red-brown "salt and pepper" pattern on it. The leaves are simple and alternate. They are oval but can be unequal on opposite sides of the midrib. They are 7 cm long by 3.5 cm wide. The base of the leaf is rounded and the tip is drawn out to a point. The leaves are leathery. They are dark green and shiny on top, and light green underneath. The flowers occur in branched clusters, either in the axils of leaves or at the ends of branches. The flowers are small and yellow-green, with a faint smell. They can be separately male and female on the same plant or both flower sexes can occur together. The fruit is a round fleshy fruit, with one hard seed or stone inside. It has thin flesh and is pointed at the tip. It is shiny blue-black when ripe.
There are 70-100 Celtis species. They are mostly in the tropics. There are 8-10 species in tropical America. Also put in the family Ulmaceae.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows in lowland rainforests.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, SE Asia
How it is used for food
The leaves have been recorded as being eaten.
It is not known if it is used as food in Papua New Guinea.
Edible parts
Leaves