Ulmus 'Pitteurs'
Encyclopedia
Ulmus 'Pitteurs' is probably one of a number of elm cultivars arising from the crossing of the Wych Elm
Ulmus glabra with a variety of Field Elm
Ulmus minor. The tree was first identified by Morren
as l'orme Pitteurs .
'Pitteurs' was a tall tree, chiefly distinguished by its huge, rounded, convex leaves, < 20 cm long by < 19 cm broad, a little attenuate at the apex and with prominent venation.
, near Liege, Belgium
, the tree was planted on his estate and along roadsides in the region. Augustine Henry
thought the tree, which produced shoots growing almost one metre a year, identical with those he saw at Looymans' nursery at Oudenbosch
, which he considered identical to a variety of Wych Elm
occasionally sold as var. macrophylla .
In 1998 an unsuccessful search of the de Pitteurs-Hiegaerts Estate (now in the public domain and known as the Speelhof park) was mounted in an attempt to rediscover the elm . It is assumed the cultivar fell victim to Dutch elm disease, as did thousands of other elms in the same district. However, 'Pitteurs' was known to have been marketed (as U. montana 'Pitteursi') in Poland
in the 19th century by the Ulrich nursery , Warsaw
, and so may still survive in Eastern Europe
. Several trees thought to survive near Brighton
in England
are now considered large-leafed examples of Ulmus procera. The only confirmed specimen, at the Extra Mural Cemetery in Brighton, was blown down in the Great Storm of 1987
. 'Pitteurs' is not known to have been introduced to North America
or Australasia
.
in the Dutch elm breeding programme before World War II
, but none of the progeny were retained .
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...
Ulmus glabra with a variety of 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...
Ulmus minor. The tree was first identified by Morren
Charles François Antoine Morren
Charles François Antoine Morren , was a Belgian botanist and horticulturist, and Director of the Jardin botanique de l’Université de Liège....
as l'orme Pitteurs .
Description
Cultivation
Reputedly one of two varieties obtained in 1845 by Henri Bonaventure Trudon de Pitteurs of Sint-TruidenSint-Truiden
Sint-Truiden is a city and municipality located in the province of Limburg, Flemish Region, Belgium, near the towns of Hasselt and Tongeren. The municipality includes the old communes of Aalst, Brustem, Duras, Engelmanshoven, Gelinden, Gorsem, Groot-Gelmen, Halmaal, Kerkom-bij-Sint-Truiden,...
, near Liege, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the tree was planted on his estate and along roadsides in the region. Augustine Henry
Augustine Henry
Augustine Henry was an Irish plantsman and sinologist. He is best known for sending over 15,000 dry specimens and seeds and 500 plant samples to Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom. By 1930, he was a recognised authority and was honoured with society membership in Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Finland,...
thought the tree, which produced shoots growing almost one metre a year, identical with those he saw at Looymans' nursery at Oudenbosch
Oudenbosch
Oudenbosch is a village in the municipality Halderberge in the west of the Dutch province Noord-Brabant. Oudenbosch is well-known for its 'Basiliek' a catholic church that is a smaller copy of St...
, which he considered identical to a variety of 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...
occasionally sold as var. macrophylla .
In 1998 an unsuccessful search of the de Pitteurs-Hiegaerts Estate (now in the public domain and known as the Speelhof park) was mounted in an attempt to rediscover the elm . It is assumed the cultivar fell victim to Dutch elm disease, as did thousands of other elms in the same district. However, 'Pitteurs' was known to have been marketed (as U. montana 'Pitteursi') in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in the 19th century by the Ulrich nursery , Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, and so may still survive in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. Several trees thought to survive near Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
are now considered large-leafed examples of Ulmus procera. The only confirmed specimen, at the Extra Mural Cemetery in Brighton, was blown down in the Great Storm of 1987
Great Storm of 1987
The Great Storm of 1987 occurred on the night of 15/16 October 1987, when an unusually strong weather system caused winds to hit much of southern England and northern France...
. 'Pitteurs' is not known to have been introduced to 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...
or 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...
.
Accessions
- 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, UK, NCCPG elm collection http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1108042. Extra Mural Cemetery, Brighton 1 Tree that fell in 1987 Storm. Plus Hove Recreation Ground, Hove. Two disfigured trees with leaves that matched the tree in Extra Mural Cemetery (2011).
Hybrid cultivars
'Pitteurs' was crossed with Ulmus × hollandicaUlmus × 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...
in the Dutch elm breeding programme before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but none of the progeny were retained .
Synonymy
- l'Orme gras
- ?l'Orme St. Trond
- Ulmus campestris latifolia, foliis rotundata: Morren, Jour. Agric. Prat. Belg. 4: 509, 511, 1851.
- Ulmus campestris var pitteursii: WesmaelAlfred WesmaelAlfred Wesmael was a Belgian professor of botany. His outstanding work in taxonomy saw him invited to become Visiting Professor at the University of Washington.-Publications:...
in Bull. Fed. Soc. Hort. Belg. 1862: 382, 1863. - Ulmus scabra macrophylla Hort.: Dieck, (ZöschenZöschenZöschen is a village and a former municipality in the district Saalekreis, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 31 December 2009, it is part of the town Leuna....
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), Haupt-Cat, 1885 p. 82.