Smooth-leaved Elm
Encyclopedia
Ulmus minor subsp. minor Richens, the Smooth-leaved Elm, yclept Narrow-leafed Elm and East Anglian Elm, is a subspecies
of the Field Elm
native to southern Europe
and Asia Minor
including Iran
.
tree
that once commonly grew < 35 m tall, its Latin synonym carpinifolia alluding to the superficial similarity of the leaves to those of Hornbeam
Carpinus sp., while the common names contrast the smooth upper surface and narrowness of the leaves with those of the Wych Elm, which are rough and broad. The apetalous perfect wind-pollinated flowers, and fruit (samara
e) are very similar to those of the species.
, it is genetically a highly variable tree and it is possible some specimens survive in the UK owing to an innately high level of resistance (see Cultivation). Research currently (2009) in hand by Cemagref
at Le Pepiniére forestiére de l’Etat, Guémené-Penfao
, France
, should confirm this. However, all Smooth-leafed Elm varieties are believed to have been introduced into Britain from central and southern Europe during the Bronze Age
, and some being beyond their natural climates and environments may be growing slowly and thus producing smaller springwood vessels restrictive to the Ophiostoma fungus. Good performance in the field may also be owing to resistance to bark beetle feeding or breeding. Moreover, several types of this subspecies also have very pendulous twigs when mature, a factor which could also make them unattractive to foraging beetles. Of over twenty mature elms of various species, including hybrids and cultivars, in the elm collection of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
in 1990, only four specimens survive in 2010: two of them are U. minor subsp. minor types with pendulous twigs (the other two are Ulmus glabra 'Exoniensis' and Ulmus pumila var. arborea
).
The subspecies has a moderate to high susceptibility to the elm leaf beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Xanthogaleruca_luteola, and a moderate susceptibility to Elm Yellows
.
made his study, continue to fare better than most. As the tree suckers readily, its genetic resources are not considered endangered. Clones of mature survivors in Essex believed, but not scientifically proven, to have some innate resistance to Dutch Elm Disease, are now available commercially.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1284637/The-Dutch-Elm-Disease-destroyer-Man-breeds-tree-resistant-deadly-blight.html http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/8220277.Could_this_be_a_new_beginning_for_our_beautiful_elm_tree_/
, Herts.
, measuring 40 m in height and 228 cm d.b.h. in 1911. Another famous specimen was the great elm that towered above its two siblings at the bottom of Long Melford Green, Long Melford
, Suffolk, till the group succumbed to disease in 1978. The three "were survivors of a former clone of at least nine elms, one dating from 1757". The Long Melford elms were painted in 1940 by the watercolourist S. R. Badmin
in his 'Long Melford Green on a Frosty Morning', now in the Victoria and Albert Museum
.http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O18366/watercolour-long-melford-green-on-a/
The largest known surviving trees are at East Coker
, Somerset
(30 m high, 95 cm d.b.h.), Termitts Farm near Hatfield Peverel
, Essex
(25 m high, 145 d.b.h.), Scrub Wood near Little Baddow
, Essex
(30 m high), and Melchbourne
, Bedfordshire
, (147 cm d.b.h.). A large old coppiced U. minor subsp. minor, with an 18-foot girth at coppice-level, stands [2010] at the edge of Sturt Copse beside the Roman villa at North Leigh
, Oxfordshire
. It retains its dense canopy of dark green leaves late into autumn, making it stand out against the yellowing wych elm
s in the area.
(Ulmus glabra), the two species hybridizing to produce elms of the Ulmus × hollandica
type.
U. minor subsp. minor is believed to have hybridized also with Plot's Elm
(Ulmus minor var. plotii) to create Ulmus × viminalis
.
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Field Elm
Field Elm
Ulmus minor Mill., the Field Elm, is by far the most polymorphic of the European species, although its taxonomy remains a matter of contention. Its natural range is predominantly south European, extending to Asia Minor; its northern outposts are the Baltic islands of Öland and Gotland, although it...
native to southern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
including Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
Description
A deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
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...
that once commonly grew < 35 m tall, its Latin synonym carpinifolia alluding to the superficial similarity of the leaves to those of Hornbeam
Hornbeam
Hornbeams are relatively small hardwood trees in the genus Carpinus . Though some botanists grouped them with the hazels and hop-hornbeams in a segregate family, Corylaceae, modern botanists place the hornbeams in the birch subfamily Coryloideae...
Carpinus sp., while the common names contrast the smooth upper surface and narrowness of the leaves with those of the Wych Elm, which are rough and broad. The apetalous perfect wind-pollinated flowers, and fruit (samara
Samara (fruit)
A samara is a type of fruit in which a flattened wing of fibrous, papery tissue develops from the ovary wall. A samara is a simple dry fruit and indehiscent . It is a winged achene...
e) are very similar to those of the species.
Pests and diseases
Although the Smooth-leafed Elm is generally susceptible to Dutch elm diseaseDutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease is a disease caused by a member of the sac fungi category, affecting elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native...
, it is genetically a highly variable tree and it is possible some specimens survive in the UK owing to an innately high level of resistance (see Cultivation). Research currently (2009) in hand by Cemagref
Cemagref
Cemagref is a public research institute in France focusing on land management issues such as water resources and agricultural technology.- Organisation :...
at Le Pepiniére forestiére de l’Etat, Guémené-Penfao
Guémené-Penfao
Guémené-Penfao is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. The name comes from Breton language "gwen" "menez" , "pen" and "faou" . The main economic activity is agriculture....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, should confirm this. However, all Smooth-leafed Elm varieties are believed to have been introduced into Britain from central and southern Europe during the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, and some being beyond their natural climates and environments may be growing slowly and thus producing smaller springwood vessels restrictive to the Ophiostoma fungus. Good performance in the field may also be owing to resistance to bark beetle feeding or breeding. Moreover, several types of this subspecies also have very pendulous twigs when mature, a factor which could also make them unattractive to foraging beetles. Of over twenty mature elms of various species, including hybrids and cultivars, in the elm collection of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a scientific centre for the study of plants, their diversity and conservation, as well as a popular tourist attraction. Originally founded in 1670 as a physic garden to grow medicinal plants, today it occupies four sites across Scotland — Edinburgh,...
in 1990, only four specimens survive in 2010: two of them are U. minor subsp. minor types with pendulous twigs (the other two are Ulmus glabra 'Exoniensis' and Ulmus pumila var. arborea
Ulmus pumila var. arborea
Ulmus pumila var. arborea, sometimes called the Turkestan elm, is endemic to western Siberia and Turkestan. The tree was introduced to Europe by Georg Dieck in 1894 as U. pinnato-ramosa.-Description:...
).
The subspecies has a moderate to high susceptibility to the elm leaf beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola
Xanthogaleruca luteola
Xanthogaleruca luteola, commonly known as the Elm Leaf Beetle, is a serious pest of the elm. Indigenous to Europe, it was accidentally introduced to North America. Both the imagines and larvae feed on the emergent leaves of the elm...
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Xanthogaleruca_luteola, and a moderate susceptibility to Elm Yellows
Elm Yellows
Elm Yellows is a plant disease of elm trees that is spread by leafhoppers or by root grafts. Elm Yellows, also known as Elm Phloem Necrosis, is very aggressive, with no known cure. Elm Yellows occurs in the Eastern United States and southern Ontario in Canada. It is caused by phytoplasmas which...
.
Cultivation
Many mature specimens still survive in England, notably in East Anglia. Here, the elms on the isolated Dengie peninsular in Essex, still thriving in the 1980s when Professor Oliver RackhamOliver Rackham
Oliver Rackham OBE is a Life Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He is also Keeper of theCollege Silver.An acknowledged authority on the British countryside, especially trees, woodlands and wood pasture, Rackham has written a number of well-known books, including The History of the...
made his study, continue to fare better than most. As the tree suckers readily, its genetic resources are not considered endangered. Clones of mature survivors in Essex believed, but not scientifically proven, to have some innate resistance to Dutch Elm Disease, are now available commercially.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1284637/The-Dutch-Elm-Disease-destroyer-Man-breeds-tree-resistant-deadly-blight.html http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/8220277.Could_this_be_a_new_beginning_for_our_beautiful_elm_tree_/
Notable trees
The largest recorded tree in the UK grew at AmwellAmwell
Amwell can refer to:* Amwell, Hertfordshire in England* Amwell Township, New Jersey in the USA, since subdivided into:**East Amwell Township, New Jersey**West Amwell Township, New Jersey* Amwell Township, Pennsylvania in the USA...
, Herts.
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, measuring 40 m in height and 228 cm d.b.h. in 1911. Another famous specimen was the great elm that towered above its two siblings at the bottom of Long Melford Green, Long Melford
Long Melford
Long Melford is a large village and civil parish in the county of Suffolk, England. It is on Suffolk's border with Essex, which is marked by the River Stour, approximately from Colchester and from Bury St. Edmunds...
, Suffolk, till the group succumbed to disease in 1978. The three "were survivors of a former clone of at least nine elms, one dating from 1757". The Long Melford elms were painted in 1940 by the watercolourist S. R. Badmin
Stanley Roy Badmin
Stanley Roy Badmin was an English painter and etcher particularly noted for his book illustrations and landscapes.-Biography:Badmin was born in Sydenham in 1906, and went on to study at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts and the Royal College of Art, London; he became one of the youngest ever...
in his 'Long Melford Green on a Frosty Morning', now in the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
.http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O18366/watercolour-long-melford-green-on-a/
The largest known surviving trees are at East Coker
East Coker
East Coker is a village and civil parish in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England. Its nearest town is Yeovil, which is situated two miles north from the village. The village has a population of 1,781...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
(30 m high, 95 cm d.b.h.), Termitts Farm near Hatfield Peverel
Hatfield Peverel
Hatfield Peverel is a large urban village and civil parish in the centre of Essex, England. Its population, including the hamlet of Nounsley, is approximately 5,500 . Hatfield means a 'heathery space in the forest'; Peverel refers to William Peverel, the Norman knight granted lands in the area by...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
(25 m high, 145 d.b.h.), Scrub Wood near Little Baddow
Little Baddow
Little Baddow is a large thriving village to the east of Chelmsford, Essex. The name Baddow comes from an Old English word meaning 'bad water', although this probably refers to the meadow area in Great Baddow as opposed to any water mass in Little Baddow...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
(30 m high), and Melchbourne
Melchbourne
Melchbourne is a small village located in the Bedford Borough of Bedfordshire, England.The village is located west of Swineshead and east of Yielden...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, (147 cm d.b.h.). A large old coppiced U. minor subsp. minor, with an 18-foot girth at coppice-level, stands [2010] at the edge of Sturt Copse beside the Roman villa at North Leigh
North Leigh
North Leigh is a village and civil parish about northeast of Witney in Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of East End, and since 1932 has also included the hamlet of Wilcote.-Early history:...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. It retains its dense canopy of dark green leaves late into autumn, making it stand out against the yellowing wych elm
Wych Elm
Ulmus glabra, the Wych elm or Scots elm, has the widest range of the European elm species, from Ireland eastwards to the Urals, and from the Arctic Circle south to the mountains of the Peloponnese in Greece; it is also found in Iran...
s in the area.
Cultivars
- Variegata (Variegated Smooth-leafed Elm)
Hybrids
The tree's natural range in eastern England overlaps with that of Wych ElmWych Elm
Ulmus glabra, the Wych elm or Scots elm, has the widest range of the European elm species, from Ireland eastwards to the Urals, and from the Arctic Circle south to the mountains of the Peloponnese in Greece; it is also found in Iran...
(Ulmus glabra), the two species hybridizing to produce elms of the Ulmus × hollandica
Ulmus × hollandica
Ulmus × hollandica Mill. , often known simply as Dutch Elm, is a natural hybrid between Wych Elm Ulmus glabra and Field Elm Ulmus minor which commonly occurs across Europe wherever the ranges of the two parent species overlap. In England, according to the field-studies of R. H...
type.
U. minor subsp. minor is believed to have hybridized also with Plot's Elm
Plot's Elm
Ulmus minor var. plotii Richens, known as Plot's Elm, or Lock Elm, is found only in England, where it is encountered mainly in the East Midlands, notably around the River Witham in Lincolnshire and in the Trent Valley around Newark on Trent...
(Ulmus minor var. plotii) to create Ulmus × viminalis
Ulmus × viminalis
Ulmus × viminalis Lodd. is an elm hybrid derived from the crossing U. minor subsp. minor Richens × U. minor var. plotii Druce . W. J. Bean says that the cultivar, which he calls U. 'Viminalis', is one form of a natural hybrid, U. × viminalis, that occurs from Essex to Oxfordshire...
.
North America
- Brooklyn Botanic GardenBrooklyn Botanic GardenBrooklyn Botanic Garden is a botanical garden in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, and Park Slope neighborhoods, the garden includes a number of specialty "gardens within the Garden," plant collections, and the Steinhardt Conservatory,...
http://www.bbg.org/cgi/bgbase/search.cgi, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, acc. nos. 350001, X02487 (as U. carpinifolia). - Dawes ArboretumDawes ArboretumThe Dawes Arboretum is a non-profit arboretum located outside of Columbus in Newark, Ohio. As one of the premier public gardens in North America, The Dawes Arboretum has over of plant collections, gardens and natural areas...
http://www.dawesarb.org/collectionsgardens/plant-search.asp, NewarkNewark, OhioIn addition, the remains of a road leading south from the Octagon have been documented and explored. It was first surveyed in the 19th century, when its walls were more apparent. Called the Great Hopewell Road, it may extend to the Hopewell complex at Chillicothe, Ohio...
, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. 3 trees, listed as U. carpinifolia, no acc. details available. - Dominion ArboretumDominion ArboretumThe Dominion Arboretum is located at the Central Experimental Farm of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Originally begun in 1889 the Arboretum covers about 26 ha of rolling land between Prince of Wales Drive, Dow's Lake and the Rideau Canal. Carleton University is located...
, OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Listed as U. carpinifolia. No acc. details available.
Europe
- Brighton & HoveBrighton & HoveBrighton and Hove is a unitary authority area and city on the south coast of England. It is England's most populous seaside resort.In 1997 Brighton and Hove were joined to form the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove, which was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II as part of the millennium...
City Council, NCCPG elm collection holders http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1254274. - Royal Botanic Garden, Wakehurst Place, as U. carpinifolia Gled., acc. nos. 1975-6201, 1977-6682, collected by Melville.
Europe
- Eggleston Hall Gardens, http://egglestonhallgardens.com
- Firecrest Tree & Shrub Nursery, http://www.firecrest.org.uk
- Trees & Hedges, http://treesandhedges.co.uk
- King & Co, The Tree Nursery, Rayne, Essex http://kingco.co.uk/index.html
Australasia
- Established Tree Planters Pty. Ltd., Wandin, Victoria, Australia. http://establishedtrees.com.au, as U. carpinifolia.