182 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 
The capsule is compressed and winged or not; a 
nut, samara, or drupe. There is no endosperm. 
The flowers are pollinated, and the seeds dispersed, 
by the wind. 
ComMon Extm (Ulmus campestris). 
There is an idea that the Common Elm is always 
planted and never ripens its seed, but this is certainly 
a mistake. I have seen a form (Ulmus glabra) which 
does so in Leicestershire, and the type here and 
there also growing spontaneously. 
It is general throughout this country, and is found 
in Derbyshire at a height of 1500 ft. It is not so 
abundant in Scotland, but is found in Ireland and 
the Channel Islands. Under the type form or its 
varieties it is thus well distributed, showing that if 
introduced it was a very long time ago. 
The Common Elm is found as a rule in hedges 
and in fields, often in wayside hedges, where long 
avenues of it may be seen. This Elm isalsocommon 
in parks and gardens. When it is found in woods it 
has always been planted. 
It is a large tree 120 to 125 ft. high, erect, with 
spreading branches at no distance from the ground, 
and with a second series of branches near the top of 
the tree. The trunk or bole has a girth of 20 ft. 
when full grown. 
The bark is rough and cracked longitudinally and 
horizontally. It is said that the roots send up 
le 
