1872 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



On account of its narrow form, it has become a favourite tree for planting in streets ; 

 but is believed not to be so fast in growth as the ordinary Belgian elm. It is much 

 planted in the neighbourhood of Lille, Roubaix, and Tournai ; and grows well in the 

 district of Ypres. The finest avenue of this elm is said ' to be on the road between 

 Waremme and the park of Longchamps ; but a specimen brought from there by 

 Elwes, who describes the trees as having the habit of the Wheatley elm, is 

 indistinguishable in branchlets and foliage from [/. montana. There are peculiar 

 clipped avenues of the Dumont elm in the streets near Moser's nursery at 



6 Ulmus Klemeri,' Spath, Cat. No. 104, p. i34 (1899); Huberty, in Bull. 



Soc. Cent. Forest. Belg. xi. 495 (1904). and xii. 173. pL ^^i- (^905). Klemmer or 



Flanders Elm. 



Ulmus campestris, var. Kkmmer, Gillekens, Arboric. Forest. 40 (1891); Aigret, in Ann. Trav. Publ. 



Belg. X. 1224 (i9°5)- 

 A tall tree, narrowly pyramidal in habit, with ascending branches, and a straight 

 cylindrical stem, covered with smooth bark. Young branchlets slender, pubescent 

 with short hairs that are deciduous in summer. Leaves ovate, about 3 in. long and 

 2 in. broad, shortly acuminate at the apex, oblique at the base ; scabrous and 

 glabrescent above; lower surface smooth to the touch, covered with a minute 

 pubescence, and with small axil-tufts ; lateral nerves about twelve pairs, often forked ; 

 margin regularly biserrate. Aigret states that the seed is situated close to the 

 emargination of the samara. 



This elm, though similar in some respects to the southern variety of U. 

 campestris, is probably a hybrid between U. nitens and U. montana, but closer to 

 U. nitens, in the size of the leaf and the position of the seed in the samara. Leaves 

 on vigorous shoots from the stem are like those of U. belgica, in texture and 

 size, and it is possible that the Klemmer elm may be a seedling of the latter, but its 

 origin is unknown.' 



The Klemmer elm is propagated by layering, and is widely planted in West 

 Flanders, in Belgium, and the adjoining Departement du Nord of France, where it is 

 much esteemed on account of its rapid growth and excellent timber. Its wood is 

 superior to that of U. belgica in strength and elasticity, and is preferred by wheel- 

 wrights. It grows to a great height, and on account of its narrow form is suitable 

 for planting in streets in towns and along roads in the country. Gillekens states that 

 six trees, which he planted in 1878 amidst a plantation of oaks that were about 

 20 ft. high, soon outgrew the latter, and in 1891 had attained 60 ft. in height and 

 2 ft. 9 in. in girth. The finest trees were those recently felled near Alveringhem, 

 which were 10 to 12 ft. in girth. There are good specimens in the avenues adjoining 

 the town of Ypres, which I saw in 191 2. The Klemmer elm is sold* by French 

 nurseries, and is represented at Kew by two specimens about 1 5 ft. high, which were 

 obtained from Barbier in 1908. 



1 Bull. Soc. Cent. Forest. Belg. ix. 839 (1902). 



2 Klemmer, signifying climber in Flemish, is the name given to this elm in Flanders on account of its ascending habit 

 and great height. The name Klemeri, implying a supposed person named Klemer, is objectionable, but must be maintained. 



' Cf. p. 1895, °°ts I- * I was informed that this elm was also obtainable in nurseries at Ypres and Bruges. 



