Celtis paniculata, commonly known as tripewood, silky keltis, silky celtis, native hackberry, native celtis, Investigator tree or whitewood, is a rainforest tree native to parts of Malesia, Melanesia and Australia.
The tree grows to 40 m (130 ft) tall and 90 cm (35 in) trunk width, though usually much smaller. The trunk is mostly cylindrical and somewhat buttressed at the base. The bark is thin, greyish brown and smooth, with pustular vertical lines.[3]
Leaves are elliptical in shape with a prominent leaf tip. Leaves are alternate and simple, smooth, not toothed, 6–10 cm (2.4–3.9 in) long with a pointed tip. The leaf stalk is somewhat channelled and flattened on the top, and 6–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) in length. Both sides of the leaf are of a dull green shade. With a hand lens, translucent glands may be seen in the leaves. The base of the leaf is often oblique, that is of unequal length on either side of the leaf stem. Leaf venation is more evident under the leaf. An identifying feature is the intramarginal leaf vein, which starts at the leaf base and travels on either edge of the leaf, a distance of ¼ to ½ the length of the leaf.[3][4]
Green flowers in axilliary cymes[3] or panicles[4] appear from December to January. The fruit is a blue to black, round to oval shaped drupe, 8–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long. containing a single seed which has veiny ridges.[5] Fruit matures from July to March.
Germination takes between 48 and 100 days. The cotyledons are large, about 30 x 25 mm with an apex divided into two acute lobes. The first pairs of juvenile leaves are often toothed. At the tenth leaf stage leaves become oval in shape with a prominent tip.[5]
This plant first appeared in scientific literature as Solenostigma paniculatum in 1833, published in the Prodromus Florae Norfolkicae by the Austrian botanist Stephan Endlicher. The type specimen was collected at Norfolk Island by the artist Ferdinand Bauer. The specific epithet paniculata refers to the tufted and branched flowers.[3] In 1848 Jules Émile Planchon moved the species to the Celtis genus.
In 1802 the explorer Matthew Flinders discovered and named Sweers Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria during his circumnavigation of Australia in the sloop HMS Investigator, and he carved the word "Investigator" into a tree on the island, a specimen of Celtis paniculata. The tree became well known amongst later explorers, who also carved the names of their vessels into the tree.[6] When the tree was damaged by a tropical cyclone in 1887, part of the trunk was removed to the Queensland Museum.
C. paniculatta has a wide natural distribution in tropical Asia and the Pacific, including Borneo, the Moluccas, the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Caroline Islands, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and the Northern Territory and Queensland.[2][5][7] In Australia it occurs from Kiama (34° S) in New South Wales to Cape York Peninsula, as well as Norfolk Island.[5][7]
It will grow in a variety of forest types including sandy beach forests, rainforests, monsoon forests and sclerophyll forests,[7] and on a variety of soil types including soils derived from basalt, granite and limestone.[7] It is often seen in coastal areas, but in northern parts of Queensland it can be found up to an altitude of 800 m (2,600 ft).[3][5]
Celtis paniculata is a food tree for the blue beak, common aeroplane, tailed emperor and other butterflies.[5][8] Many rainforest pigeons and other birds feed on the fruit.[9][10] An endangered population of the beetle Menippus darcyi feeds on Celtis paniculata.[11] The tree produces a useful general purpose timber, with a specific gravity of 0.70.[5]
Removal of the flesh from the seed is not advised when sowing.
Growing at Bass Point, Australia
The original "Investigator Tree" on Sweers Island in 1871
Celtis paniculata, commonly known as tripewood, silky keltis, silky celtis, native hackberry, native celtis, Investigator tree or whitewood, is a rainforest tree native to parts of Malesia, Melanesia and Australia.
Celtis paniculata es un árbol del bosque lluvioso costero de Australia. Crece desde el poblado de Kiama (34° S) en Nueva Gales del Sur hasta el Río Endeavour (15° S) en el trópico de Queensland. También crece en la Isla Norfolk, el este de Malesia, Micronesia, y el oeste de Polinesia.
Crece a una altura de 40 metros de alto y 90 cm de ancho. El tronco es mayormente cilíndrico y algo ensanchado en la base. La corteza es delgada, café y lisa, con líneas pustulares verticales.
Las hojas son alternadas y simples, no están dentadas y miden de 6 a 10 cm de largo con el extremo puntiagudo. El tallo de la hoja es algo acanalado y aplanado en la parte posterior, de 6 a 10 mm de largo. La base de la hoja es con frecuencia obliqua, esto es porque es desigual la longitud a cada lado del lado de la hoja. La nervadura de la hoja es más evidente en el envés.
Flores verdes se forman en cimas y aparecen de diciembre a enero. El fruto es una drupa redondeada, de 8 a 10 mm de largo long conteniendo una sola semilla. El fruto madura de agosto a marzo.
Celtis paniculata fue descrita por Endl. & Planch. y publicado en Annales des Sciences Naturelles; Botanique, sér. 3 10: 305. 1848.[1]
Celtis: nombre genérico que deriva de céltis f. – lat. celt(h)is = en Plinio, es el nombre que recibía en África el "lotus", que para algunos glosadores es el azufaifo (Ziziphus jujuba Mill., ramnáceas) y para otros el almez (Celtis australis L.)[2]
paniculata: epíteto latíno que significa "con panículas".[3]
Celtis paniculata es un árbol del bosque lluvioso costero de Australia. Crece desde el poblado de Kiama (34° S) en Nueva Gales del Sur hasta el Río Endeavour (15° S) en el trópico de Queensland. También crece en la Isla Norfolk, el este de Malesia, Micronesia, y el oeste de Polinesia.
Celtis paniculata là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Cannabaceae. Loài này được (Endl.) Planch. mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1848.[1]
Celtis paniculata là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Cannabaceae. Loài này được (Endl.) Planch. mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1848.