Leaf: Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, 2 to 5 inches long, 1 to 2 inches wide, long acuminate tip, only upper half of leaf or less serrated (maybe entire), three distinct veins meet at the inequilateral base.

Flower: Very small (1/8 inch), greenish white, produced on stalks near twig, appearing in April to May.

Fruit: Fleshy, globose, ¼ to 3/8 inch in diameter, orangish red turning purple when ripe, stalks short. Maturing in September and October.

Twig: Slender, zigzag, reddish brown, speckled with lighter lenticels, lateral buds are tightly appressed and triangular in shape, pith usually chambered at nodes.

Bark: Gray to light brown, smooth with corky "warty" patches, does not develop ridges, as does hackberry, although it is highly variable.

Form: Medium size tree to 80 feet tall, several feet in diameter, broad crown in open with drooping branches. .

Copyright (c) 2000, 2001 Pee Dee Resource Conservation and Development Council.
This page was last updated on August 31, 2001.

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