URTICACEAE 



Slippery Elm. Red Elm 



Ulmus fulva, Michx. [Ulmus pubescens, Walt.] 



HABIT. A medium-sized tree 40-60 feet high, with a 

 short trunk 1-2 feet in diameter; spreading branches form a 

 broad, open, flat-topped crown. 



LEAVES. Alternate, simple, 4-7 inches long, about one- 

 half as broad; ovate-oblong; coarsely doubly serrate; thick ana 

 firm; dark green and rough above, paler and somewhat rough 

 beneath ; petioles short, stout, hair)'. 



FLOWERS. March- April, before the leaves; mostly per- 

 fect; borne on short pedicels in crowded fascicles; calyx catn- 

 panulate, 5-g-lobed, green, hairy; corolla o; stamens 5-9, with 

 dark red anthers ; stigmas 2, reddish purple. 



FRUIT. May; semi-orbicular, i-seeded samaras, short- 

 stalked in dense clusters; seed cavity brown-tomentose ; wings 

 smooth, nearly 24 inch long. 



WINTER-BUDS. Terminal bud absent; lateral buds ovoid, 

 obtuse, dark brown, rusty-tomentose, y^ inch long. 



BARK. Twigs at first bright green and pubescent, becom- 

 ing light to dark brown or grayish; thick on old trunks, dark 

 red-brown, shallowly fissured into large, loose plates; inner bark 

 mucilaginous. 



WOOD. Heavy, hard, strong, very close-grained, durable, 

 easy to split while green, dark red-brown, with thin, lighter 

 colored sapwood. 



DISTRIBUTION. Of frequent occurrence throughout the 

 state. 



HABITAT. Prefers stream-banks and bottom-lands; rich, 

 moist hillsides; rocky ridges and slopes. 



NOTES. Grows more rapidly than U. americana. 

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