512 THE ELM. 



In the Wych Elm the trunk soon divides into several large 

 limbs, which spread outwards and upwards with full sweeping 

 curves. The branches are smoother, rounder and longer, more 

 unrestrained in their habit of growth, and pendent at the end. The 

 upper boughs usually extend further than the lower ones. Suckers 

 are found only in exceptional cases. 



LEAF. 



In the English Elm the base of the leaf where it joins the 

 stalk is uneven ; on the one side it forms a convex curve, and meets 

 the stalk at a point lower down than on the other side, where it 

 forms a concave curve. The foliage is dense, and remains on the 

 tree till late in the autumn. 



In the Wych Elm the base of the leaf where it meets the 

 stalk is nearly regular. The leaf is much larger and coarser than 

 that of the English Elm, and has a tapering point. Between the 

 secondary ribs the leaf blade is fluted rather than crinkled, like that 

 of the other tree. This fluting and the more tapering shape, 

 together with the large pink-tipped stipules which protect it while 

 it is developing from the bud, are all features which make it easily 

 recognisable. The foliage of the Wych Elm is less dense ; it turns 

 a brighter yellow and shrivels earlier in the autumn. 



FLOWERS AND FRUIT. 



The seed-discs of the English Elm are deeply cleft ; the seed 

 is nearest the end of the disc away from the stalk. Those of the 

 Wych Elm are much larger, nearly oval, and only slightly cleft; 

 the fruit is nearly in the centre of the disc. The flowers expand 

 later, and are larger and arranged in looser clusters. 



