About Celtis tala Gillies ex Planch.
Celtis tala Gillies ex Planch., commonly called tala, is a medium to large sized tree that can sometimes reach 12 meters in height. Its growth form changes with water availability: it can grow as an upright tree (arboreus) or a shrub. It prefers dry or slightly moist, well-drained soil. When growing as an arboreus tree, its trunk is fairly tortuous, reaching close to 40 cm in diameter. When growing as a shrub, it produces several branched trunks each 20 cm in diameter. Its bark is light colored, ranging from gray to brown. Tala tends to branch very abundantly, forming a dense mesh of branches that grow in zigzag patterns. It has strong spines located in the foliar axis, which are 1.5 cm or more in length. Its leaves are alternate, petiolate and simple, with rounded bases and serrated margins along the apical region. Leaves are trinervate, acuminate, and dark green in color. This tree flowers in spring, producing inconspicuous yellowish pentamerous flowers. The flowers are hermaphrodite, so the species is self-fertile. The fruit of tala is a small drupe 1 cm wide that grows in short clusters. The fruit is not very fleshy and contains a proportionally large seed, but it is very sweet and pleasant tasting.
