Trema
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- This article is about the tree. Trema is also another name for diaeresis. Trema (http://www.trema.com) is also the name of a software company.
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About 15 species including: |
Trema (Trema) is a genus of about 15 species of evergreen trees closely related to the hackberries (Celtis), occurring in subtropical and tropical regions of southern Asia, northern Australasia, Africa and South and Central America. They are generally small trees, reaching 10-20 m tall.
Previously included either in the elm family Ulmaceae or with Celtis in the Celtidaceae, genetic analysis by the APG has shown they are best placed in the hemp family Cannabaceae.
The leaves are alternate, simple, 7-15 cm long, ovate-acuminate to lanceolate with a long pointed tip, and evenly serrated margins. The fruit is a small drupe 3-5 mm diameter.
In Australia, Trema species are sometimes used as food plants by the larvae of hepialid moths of the genus Aenetus. These burrow horizontally into the trunk then vertically down.
Trema orientalis is widely planted for land reclamation in southern Asia, valued for its tolerance of poor soils. It is also an invasive species on some Pacific Ocean islands.
External link
- Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER) page on Trema orientalis (with photos) (http://www.hear.org/pier/species/trema_orientalis.htm)Template:Plant-stub