ULMACE^E. 



Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 178. 



ULMUS. 



Calyx turbinate, shrivelled, permanent ; in 4, 5 , 6, or more, up- 

 right segments, coloured on the inner side. Filaments as many 

 as the segments of the calyx, and twice as long, inserted into the 

 tube opposite each segment. Anthers erect, short, with 4 fur- 

 rows, and 2 cells, bursting lengthwise externally. Ovary com- 

 pressed, cloven at the summit ; stigmas 2, terminal, spreading, 

 downy, shorter than the calyx, finally inflexed. Fruit membra- 

 nous, compressed, orbicular or somewhat oblong, with a notch 

 at the extremity. Seed solitary, roundish, slightly compressed. 



626. U. effusa Willd. sp. pi i. 1325. N. and E. plant, med. 

 t. 103. U. pedunculata Fougeroux. Poir. encycl. ii. p. 610. 

 Woods in the southern parts of Europe. 



A small tree. Branches erect, when old a bright chesnut brown and 

 smooth, when young densely clothed with down. Leaves smooth and 

 rather shining on the upper side, soft with down on the under ; obovate, 

 acuminate, sharply and doubly serrated, extremely unequal at the base. 

 Flowers small, on long slender stalks. Fruit ovate, bifid, coarsely 

 reticulated, bordered with a deep thick fringe of hairs, on smooth slender 

 stalks twice as long as themselves. See the next species. 



627. U. campestris Linn. sp. pi. 327. E. Bot. xxvii. 1. 1886. 

 Smith Eng. Fl. ii. 20. Woods and hedges. 



Trunk rather crooked, with a rugged bark, and spreading, round 

 zigzag, brown, leafy branches. Leaves about 2 inches long, and 1 broad 

 in the middle, doubly serrated, contracted towards each end ; unequal 

 at the base, as in every known species ; dark green, and very rough 

 to the touch, on the upper side; paler and smoother beneath, with 

 a prominent midrib, and several transverse parallel ribs, which have 

 each a small tuft of downy hairs at the origin. Flowers much ear- 

 lier than the foliage, and from inferior buds, in numerous dense, 

 round, dull purple tufts, each flower almost sessile, with an oblong 

 fringed bractea at its base. Limb of the calyx in 4 oblong obtuse seg- 

 ments, of a light brownish-red, minutely fringed. Stamens 4, equal, 

 with dark purple anthers. Stigmas a downy line along the upper edge 

 of each style, which line is never elongated but becomes incurved, from 

 the great dilatation of the opposite margin, running down into the 

 bordered, oblong-wedgeshaped, or nearly obovate, flat, pale brown, 

 somewhat shining, capsule, which has a deep sinus at the extremity, 

 bordered with the styles, and extending towards the seed. Smith. 

 The inner bark of the Elm is demulcent and diuretic ; it is also slightly 

 astringent and therefore a feeble tonic. It has been used in some skin 

 diseases, but is rarely resorted to. Mr. Pereira mentions U. glabra as 

 another species officinally employed. The bark should be stripped in 

 the spring. 



303 



