URTICACEAE 
Slippery Elm. Red Elm 
Ulmus fulva Mich. [Ulmus pubescens Walt.] 
HABIT—A medium-sized tree 40-60 feet high, with a 
short trunk 1-2 feet in diameter; spreading branches form a 
broad, open, flat-topped crown. 
LEAVES.—Alternate, ‘simple, 4-7 inches long, about one- 
half as broad; ovate-oblong; coarsely doubly serrate; thick and 
firm; dark green and rough above, paler and somewhat rough 
beneath; petioles short, stout, hairy. 
FLOWERS.—March-April, before the leaves; mostly per- 
fect; borne on short pedicels in crowded fascicles; calyx cam- 
panulate, 5-9-lobed, green, hairy; corolla 0; stamens 5-9, with 
dark red anthers; stigmas 2, reddish purple. 
FRRUIT.—May; semi-orbicular, 1-seeded samaras, : short- 
stalked in dense clusters; seed cavity brown-tomentose; wings 
smooth, nearly 34 inch long. 
‘WINTER-BUDS.—Terminal bud absent; lateral buds ovoid, 
obtuse, dark brown, rusty-tomentose, 44 inch long. 
BARK.—Twigs at first bright green and pubescent, becom- 
ing light to dark brown or grayish; thick on old.trunks, dark 
red-brown, shallowly fissured into large, loose: plates; inner bark 
mucilaginous. : 
WOOD.—Heavy, hard, strong, very close-grained, durable, 
easy to split while ‘green, dark red-brown, with thin, lighter 
colored sapwood. 
DISTRIBUTION.—Of frequent occurrence throughout the 
state. 
HABITAT.—Prefers stream-banks and bottom-lands; rich, 
moist hillsides; rocky ridges and slopes. 
NOTES.—Grows more rapidly than U. americana. 
— 125 — 
