ULMACE^E ELM FAMILY 



WHITE ELM. AMERICAN ELM. WATER ELM 



Ulmus americclna. 



Ulmus is the ancient name of the elm tree and was adopted by 

 Linnaeus as the name of the genus. 



Abundant in moist woods, throughout the entire north, especially 

 in rich alluvial soil. Varies from sixty to one hundred and twenty 

 feet in height, the trunk sturdy and usually dividing at one-third the 

 height of the tree into two to five branches. Grows rapidly, is long 

 lived. Roots fibrous and run near the surface of the ground, often 

 rise above it. 



Bark. Dark gray, rough, with longitudinal and not very closely 

 idherent ridges. Branchlets light green, downy, later become red- 

 dish brown, smooth and finally ashy gray. 



Wood. Reddish brown, sap wood pale ; heavy, hard, strong, 

 tough, difficult to split, rather coarse-grained ; will take no polish ; 

 ised for hubs of wheels, saddletrees and cooperage. Sp. gr., 

 (.6506 ; weight of cu. ft., 40.55 Ibs. 



Winter Buds. Flower-buds larger than leaf buds, produced in 

 the axils of the leaves of the previous year. Leaf-buds brown, one- 

 eighth of an inch long, ovate, acute, slightly flattened ; scales 

 smooth. No terminal bud is formed. When spring growth begins 

 the inner scales enlarge. 



Leaves. Alternate, four to six inches long, two to three inches 

 broad, obovate-oblong, or oval, unequal at base, doubly serrate, 

 acuminate. Feather-veined, midvein and primary veins conspicu- 

 ous. They come out of the bud conduplicate, downy, pale green ; 

 when full grown are dark green, rough above, pale green and downy 

 or smooth beneath. In autumn they turn brown or golden yellow. 

 Petioles short ; stipules fugacious. 



Flowers. March, April, before the leaves. Perfect, small, brown- 

 ish yellow or reddish, borne in loose umbel-like clusters, on slender 

 pedicels, on last year's wood. 



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