1884 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



seed of the tree at Belton being exactly like U. montana ; and I have little doubt 

 that U. major is a hybrid, with U. montana and U. nitens as the parent species. 



Varieties 



The following varieties are assigned with some doubt to U. major : — 



1. Var. serpentina, Henry. 



Ulmus serpentina, Koch, Dendrologie, ii. pt. i. 417 (1872). 



Ulmus montana, sub-species major, var. serpentina, Dippel, Laubhohkunde, ii. 29 (1892). 



A small tree, with curved and twisted pendulous branches, forming a dense 

 pyramidal or globose crown. Leaves and branchlets similar to those of U. major. 



The origin of this variety is unknown. It is said by Koch to be known in 

 nurseries as the parasol elm, and is represented at Kew by a good specimen about 

 15 ft. high, obtained from Spath in 1896. Another smaller tree at Kew is labelled 

 U. campestris pendula nova. 



2. Var. Daveyi} Henry. 



A wide - spreading tree, with irregular branches and pendulous branchlets, 

 differing from U. major in the epicormic branches never developing corky ridges. 

 Young branchlets more or less pubescent with long hairs. Leaves similar in shape 

 to that species, but smaller, 7.\ in. long, 2 in. broad, and with 10 to 12 pairs of lateral 

 nerves ; upper surface shining, smooth, with a scattered minute pubescence ; lower 

 surface similar, covered with a dense soft pubescence, and with conspicuous white 

 axil-tufts ; petiole densely pubescent. Flowers with the sepals and stamens irregular 

 in number, and the stigmas white or tinged with pink. Samarae not seen. 



This occurs as a rare tree in Cornwall, in the valleys mixed with U. major, 

 which it resembles in its wide-spreading habit, but has very pendulous branchlets. 

 It is apparently never very large in Cornwall, where I saw it at Coldrenick and near 

 Perranporth ; but in Norfolk and Cambridge, where it is also rare, it reaches 80 ft. 

 in height. 



3. A tree at Kew, about 25 ft. high, pyramidal in habit, with ascending 

 branches, which was obtained from Spath in 1896 as U. campestris, var. modiolina^ 

 has leaves like those of U. major, except that they are very scabrous above. 



Distribution 



U. major is widely distributed throughout England, occurring from Cornwall to 

 Essex and Norfolk, and extending as far north as Yorkshire. It ascends to about 

 1000 ft. altitude in mountain valleys in South Wales.' In many districts it is the 

 commonest tree in hedgerows ; and in Cornwall, where it is associated with U. nitens, 

 var. stricta, these two elms grow in every valley and are certainly indigenous. 



U. major is said to occur in France, Germany, and Russia ; but I have seen no 



1 Named after Mr. F. Hamilton Davey, whose researches into the flora of Cornwall are well known. 



2 This tree is different from U. modiolina, Dumont de Courset. See p. 1894. 



5 Ley, \aJoum. Bot. xlviii. 72 (1910). 



