The Trees of Vermont 133 



URTICACEAE 



American Elm. White Elm 

 Ulmus americana L. 



Habit. — A tree 75-100 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 2-6 

 feet; commonly dividing 20-30 feet above the ground into a few large 

 branches which rise upward and outward to form a vase-shaped out- 

 Hne. 



Leaves. — Alternate, simple, 4-6 inches long, one-half as broad ; 

 obovate-oblong to oval ; coarsely doubly serrate ; thick and firm ; dark 

 green and rough above, pale and pubescent or glabrous beneath ; 

 petioles short and stout. 



Flowers. — April, before the leaves ; mostly perfect ; small, brown 

 to red ; borne on slender pedicels in loose fascicles ; calyx campanulate, 

 5-9-lobed ; corolla ; stamens 4-9, with bright red anthers ; ovary 2- 

 celled; styles 2, green. 



Fruit.- — May; ovate, 1-seeded samaras, smooth both sides, hairy 

 on the margin, J^ inch long, long-stemmed in crowded clusters. 



Winter-buds. — Terminal bud absent; lateral buds ovoid, acute, 

 flattened, glabrous, brown, ^ inch long. 



Bark. — Twigs at first light green and downy, becoming glabrous, 

 red-brown, finally ash-gray ; on old trunks thick, ash-gray, deeply 

 fissured into broad, scaly ridges. Plate V. 



Wood. — Heavy, hard, strong, tough, difficult to split, coarse- 

 grained, light brown, with thick, lighter colored sapwood. P;ige 225. 



Distribution.— Common throughout Vermont. 



Habitat. — Prefers deep, rich, moist loam ; bottom-lands ; stream- 

 banks. 



Notes. — Of all the native trees none has done more than the white 

 elm to beautify the streets of our cities and villages or to grace our 

 country hillsides and meadows. The spreading vase-shaped head is 

 its typical form, but perfect trees are found only where there has been 

 a free development of the branches from the sapling age. Even when 

 developing freely, however, the trees vary markedly in form. Some 

 may be found which are very strict and upright others which are 

 straggling and strongly weeping. The bark characters also vary much 

 in different trees. Numerous clusters of slender, drooping flowers 

 open before the leaves in early May, giving the tree a delicate feathery 

 appearance. The seeds mature and fall before the leaves are grown 

 fully. The wood is very tough and fibrous, making it useful for ox 

 yokes, wagon bolsters, hubs of wheels and similar purposes where there 

 is special cross-strain. 



