THE ELM. 



103 



all. It is a lofty, upright tree, composed of many- 

 tiers of spreading branches, which often hang in 

 graceful festoons at the extremities ; its flowers 

 are not easily distinguished from those of other 



SEED. LEAF. 



species; the winged seed-vessel is cleft nearly 

 down to the centre ; the leaves are rough to the 

 touch, tapering to a point, and obliquely wedge- 

 shaped at the base ; the young twigs are downy, 

 and sometimes slightly corky. 



TJlmus stricta, Cornish Elm, is a tree of more 

 rigid growth than the preceding ; the flower-buds 

 are arranged more regularly on the twigs; the 

 leaves are much smaller, more evenly notched, and 

 nearly smooth. It is confined to the counties of 

 Devon and Cornw^all. In these two species the 

 main trunk is generally continuous nearly to the 

 summit. 



Loudon says of this variety (as he calls it), that 

 in the climate of London it is a week or fortnight 



