Trema
Encyclopedia
Trema is a genus of about 15 species of evergreen
tree
s closely related to the hackberries (Celtis), occurring in subtropical and tropical regions of southern Asia
, northern Australasia
, Africa
, South
and Central America
, and parts of North America
. They are generally small trees, reaching 10–20 m (32.8–65.6 ft) tall.
Previously included either in the elm
family, Ulmaceae
, or with Celtis in the Celtidaceae, genetic analysis has shown the Celtidaceae are best placed in the hemp
family, Cannabaceae
.
The leaves
are alternate, simple, 7–15 cm (2.8–5.9 in) long, ovate-acuminate to lanceolate with a long pointed tip, and evenly serrated margins. The fruit
is a small drupe
3–5 mm (0.118110236220472–0.196850393700787 in) in diameter.
Trema species are sometimes used as food plants by the larva
e of hepialid
moth
s of the genera Aenetus
, including A. splendens, which burrow horizontally into the trunk then vertically down, and Endoclita
, including E. malabaricus.
Trema orientalis
is widely planted for land reclamation in Southern Asia, valued for its tolerance of poor soils due to its ability to fix Nitrogen. It is also an invasive species
on some Pacific Ocean
islands.
T. tomentosa var. viridis
is a common shrub or small tree throughout eastern Australia
.
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s closely related to the hackberries (Celtis), occurring in subtropical and tropical regions of southern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, northern Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, South
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, and parts of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. They are generally small trees, reaching 10–20 m (32.8–65.6 ft) tall.
Previously included either in the elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
family, Ulmaceae
Ulmaceae
Ulmaceae is a family of flowering plant that includes the elms , and the zelkovas . Members of the family are widely distributed throughout the north temperate zone, and have a scattered distribution elsewhere except for Australasia.The family was formerly sometimes treated to include the...
, or with Celtis in the Celtidaceae, genetic analysis has shown the Celtidaceae are best placed in the hemp
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
family, Cannabaceae
Cannabaceae
Cannabaceae are a small family of flowering plants. As now circumscribed, the family includes about 170 species grouped in about 11 genera, including Cannabis , Humulus and Celtis...
.
The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are alternate, simple, 7–15 cm (2.8–5.9 in) long, ovate-acuminate to lanceolate with a long pointed tip, and evenly serrated margins. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is a small drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
3–5 mm (0.118110236220472–0.196850393700787 in) in diameter.
Trema species are sometimes used as food plants by the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e of hepialid
Hepialidae
The Hepialidae is a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths.-Taxonomy and systematics:...
moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
s of the genera Aenetus
Aenetus
Aenetus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 24 described species found in Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Australia and New Zealand. Most species have green or blue forewings and reddish hindwings but some are predominantly brown or white...
, including A. splendens, which burrow horizontally into the trunk then vertically down, and Endoclita
Endoclita
Endoclita is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 60 described species found in eastern and southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.- Species :*E. aboe - India*E. absurdus - China*E. actinidae - China...
, including E. malabaricus.
Trema orientalis
Trema orientalis
Trema orientalis is a species of flowering tree in the hemp family, Cannabaceae. It is known by many common names, including charcoal-tree, Indian charcoal-tree, pigeon wood, and in Hawaii, where it has become naturalized gunpowder tree, or nalita...
is widely planted for land reclamation in Southern Asia, valued for its tolerance of poor soils due to its ability to fix Nitrogen. It is also an invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
on some Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
islands.
T. tomentosa var. viridis
Trema tomentosa var. viridis
Trema tomentosa var. viridis is a forest plant. In Australia it occurs from Twofold Bay in New South Wales to far northern Queensland, New Guinea and West Papua . It previously was recorded near Mallacoota, but is now presumed extinct in the state of Victoria.Other common names include Native...
is a common shrub or small tree throughout eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Selected species
- Trema cannabina Lour.João de LoureiroJoão de Loureiro was a Portuguese Jesuit missionary, paleontologist, physician and botanist.In 1742 he travelled to Cochinchina, remaining there for 30 years. He became a specialist in Asian flora and on his return published Flora Cochinchinensis .- References :...
- Trema cubense Urb.Ignatz UrbanIgnatz Urban was a German botanist. He is known for his contributions to the flora of the Caribbean and Brazil, and for his work as curator of the Berlin Botanical Garden. Born the son of a brewer, Urban showed an interest in botany as an undergraduate...
- Trema discolorTrema discolorTrema discolor is a species of plant in the Ulmaceae family. It is endemic to French Polynesia.-References:* Florence, J. 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
(Brongniart) Blume - Trema domingensis Urb.
- Trema integerrima (Beurl.) Standl.
- Trema lamarckiana (Roem. & Schult.) Blume
- Trema micrantha (L.) Blume - Jamaican Nettletree
- Trema orientalisTrema orientalisTrema orientalis is a species of flowering tree in the hemp family, Cannabaceae. It is known by many common names, including charcoal-tree, Indian charcoal-tree, pigeon wood, and in Hawaii, where it has become naturalized gunpowder tree, or nalita...
(L.) Blume - Trema philippinensis Elmer
- Trema strigilosa Lundell
- Trema tomentosa (Roxb.) H.Hara
- Trema tomentosa var. viridisTrema tomentosa var. viridisTrema tomentosa var. viridis is a forest plant. In Australia it occurs from Twofold Bay in New South Wales to far northern Queensland, New Guinea and West Papua . It previously was recorded near Mallacoota, but is now presumed extinct in the state of Victoria.Other common names include Native...
(Planch.) Hewson
- Trema tomentosa var. viridis