54 
RED ELM. 
and rounder, and which, a fortnight before their development, are covered 
with a russet down. 
The flowers are aggregated at the extremity of the young shoots. The 
scales which surround the bunches of flowers are downy like the buds. 
The flowers and seeds differ from those of the preceding species ; the calyx 
is downy and sessile, and the stamina are short and of a pale rose color ; 
the seeds are larger, destitute of fringe, round, and very similar to those 
of the European Elm ; they are ripe toward the end of May. The leaves 
are oval-acuminate, doubly denticulated, and larger, thicker and rougher 
than those of the White Elm. 
The bark upon the trunk is brown ; the heart is coarser-grained and less 
compact than that of the White Elm, and of a dull red tinge. I have 
remarked that the wood, even in branches of 1 or 2 inches in diameter, 
consists principally of perfect wood. This species is stronger, more dura- 
ble when exposed to the weather, and of a better quality than the White 
Elm ; hence in the Western States it is employed with greater advantage 
in the construction of houses, and sometimes of vessels on the banks of the 
Ohio. It is the best wood of the United States for blocks, and its scarce- 
ness in the Atlantic States is the only cause of its limited consumption in 
the ports. It makes excellent rails, which are of long duration and are 
formed with little labor, as the trunk splits easily and regularly ; this is 
probably the reason that it is never employed for the naves of wheels. 
The Red Elm bears a strong likeness to a species or a variety in Europe 
known by the name of Dutch Elm. The leaves and the bark of the 
branches, macerated in water, yield, like those of the Dutch Elm, a thick 
and abundant mucilage, which is used for a refreshing drink in colds, and 
for emollient plasters in place of the marsh mallow root, which does not 
grow in the United States. 
Though the Red Elm is superior to the White Elm, it is not equal to 
our European species, and its culture cannot be generally recommended. 
Observation . — In the District of Maine and on the banks of Lake Cham- 
plain, I have found another Elm which I judged to be a distinct species. 
Its leaves were oval-acuminate, rough and deeply toothed, but I have not 
seen its flowers or its seeds. The length of its young shoots announced a 
vigorous vegetation. It is confounded in use with the White Elm, to which 
it is perhaps superior ; it is found in the nurseries of France, and probably 
it came originally from Canada. 
PLATE CXXVIII. 
A branch with leaves and seeds of the natural size. 
