About Celtis pallida Torr.
Scientific name: Celtis pallida Torr. Celtis ehrenbergiana, commonly known as desert hackberry or spiny hackberry, is a plant species that many authors have long referred to as C. pallida, including the "Flora of North America" database. This species is native to Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, and Texas in the United States, and ranges through Latin America south to central Argentina. It grows in dry habitats including deserts, brushlands, canyons, mesas, and grasslands. Celtis ehrenbergiana is the only species in its genus native to the United States that produces thorns. In the United States, it grows as a shrub or small tree reaching up to 3 m (10 feet) tall, with thorns on its branches; plants can grow taller when growing in the tropics. Its leaves are smaller than is typical for the genus, measuring less than 3 cm (1.2 inches) long and less than 2 cm (0.8 inches) wide. Its flowers grow in cymes holding 3 to 5 flowers. The fruits are juicy, egg-shaped drupes around 7 mm in diameter, that come in orange, yellow, or red, and are edible by both humans and wildlife.
