150 



SLIPPERY ELM. 

 Ulmus fulva, Michaux. 



FORM A small to a medium-sized tree usually attaining a height of 40-60 ft. with a 

 diameter of 1-25 ft., but may reach a maximum height of 80 ft. with a diameter of 2i feet. 

 Crown broad and flat-topped. Limbs stout and ascending. 



BARE Thick, rough, longitudinally fissured, dark brown, tinged with red within. Inner 

 bark fragrant, mucilaginous and slippery, whence its common name. See Fig. 66. 



TWIGS Rather stout, difficult? to break on account of flexible bark, at first hairy and 

 greenish, later smoother and grayish-brown, roughened by raised lenticels and raised leaf- 

 scars. 



BUDS Alternate; terminal bud absent; ovate, about 1 of an inch long, dark chestnut-brown, 

 covered with about 12 overlapping bud-scales coated with rusty brown hairs. Flower-buds 

 stout and located along side of twig while leaf-buds are relatively slender and located towards 

 end of twig. 



LEAVES Alternate, simple, 5-7 inches long, oval to obovate, thick, dark green, rough 

 on both sides, rounded and oblique at base, acute at apex, doubly toothed on margin. 



LEAF-SCARS Alternate, oval, raised, lighter than twig, contain usually 3 rather small 

 and inconspicuous bundle-scars. 



FLOWERS Appear before the leaves from lateral propagative buds. The smaller vegetative 

 buds located near the end of the twigs open later. Flowers are perfect and clustered on short 

 stalks. 



FRUIT A short-stalked samara i-i of an Inch broad, consisting of a flat seed surrounded 

 by a wing and maturing in spring a few weeks after the flowers have matured. The fruit 

 is hairy only over the seed. 



WOOD Ring-porous; with rather indistinct medullary rays; pores of the summer wood 

 arranged ill tangentially concentric bands; pores of spring wood form a broad band of 3 or 

 more rows. Wood is heavy, hard, strong, dark brown to red, coarse-textured, easy to split, 

 very durable in contact with the soil. Weighs 45.35 Ibs. per cubic foot. Used for posts, 

 railway ties, slack cooperage, agricultural implements. 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The Slippery Elm, also known as the Red Elm 

 and Moose Elm, can be distinguished from the other Elms of Pennsylvania by its fragrant and 

 mucilaginous inner bark and its dark chestnut-brown buds covered with rusty brown pube- 

 scence. It is a smaller tree than either the American or the English Elm. The leaves are 

 rough in both directions while those of the American Elm are rough only in one direction. The 

 bark is not so rough nor the buds so dark colored as those of the English Elm. Its lateral 

 branches are rather straight while those of the American Elm are drooping. 



RANGE Valley of the St. Lawrence, south to Florida, and west to North Dakota and 

 Texas. 



DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA Scattered locally throughout the State. Generally 

 absent in the mountainous region. Most common in the valleys. Does not form pure stands. 



HABITAT It is commonly found on low rich soil, along streams, and on hillsides. In the 

 southern part of Pennsylvania common on limestone outcrops. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES This tree does not attain a large size nor grow in 

 habitats where other more valuable species will not grow, consequently it cannot be recom- 

 mended for extensive planting for forestry purposes. It may be recommended for limited 

 planting in wet places, especially on the border of streams and on limestone outcrops. 



