Part 42

FLOWERS.--March-April, before the leaves; mostly perfect; borne on short pedicels in crowded fascicles; calyx campanulate, 5-9-lobed, green, hairy; corolla 0; stamens 5-9, with dark red anthers; stigmas 2, reddish purple.

FRUIT.--May; semi-orbicular, 1-seeded samaras, short-stalked in dense clusters; seed cavity brown-tomentose; wings smooth, nearly 3/4 inch long.

WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud absent; lateral buds ovoid, obtuse, dark brown, rusty-tomentose, 1/4 inch long.

BARK.--Twigs at first bright green and pubescent, becoming 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.

1. Winter twig, × 2. 2. Leaf, × 1/2. 3. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2. 4. Flower, enlarged. 5. Fruit, × 2.]

+URTICACEAE+

+White Elm. American Elm. Water Elm+

Ulmus americana L.

HABIT.--A tree 75-100 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 2-6 feet; commonly dividing 20-30 feet above the ground into a few large branches which rise upward and outward to form a vase-shaped outline.

LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 4-6 inches long, one-half as broad; obovate-oblong to oval; coarsely doubly serrate; thick and firm; dark green and rough above, pale and pubescent or glabrous beneath; petioles short and stout.

FLOWERS.--March-April, before the leaves; mostly perfect; small, brown to red; borne on slender pedicels in loose fascicles; calyx campanulate, 5-9-lobed; corolla 0; stamens 4-9, with bright red anthers; ovary 2-celled; styles 2, green.

FRUIT.--May; ovate, 1-seeded samaras, smooth both sides, hairy on the margin, 1/2 inch long, long-stemmed in crowded clusters.

WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud absent; lateral buds ovoid, acute, flattened, glabrous, brown, 1/8 inch long.

BARK.--Twigs at first light green and downy, becoming glabrous, red-brown, finally ash-gray; on old trunks thick, ash-gray, deeply fissured into broad, scaly ridges.

WOOD.--Heavy, hard, strong, tough, difficult to split, coarse-grained, light brown, with thick, lighter colored sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Common throughout the state.

HABITAT.--Prefers deep, rich, moist loam; bottom-lands; stream-banks.

NOTES.--Grows rapidly. Long-lived. The roots run along near the surface of the ground for a great distance. An ideal street tree.

1. Winter twig, × 1. 2. Portion of twig, enlarged. 3. Leaf, × 1. 4. Flowering branchlet, × 1. 5. Flower, enlarged. 6. Fruit, × 1.]

+URTICACEAE+

+Cork Elm. Rock Elm+

Ulmus racemosa Thomas [Ulmus Thomasi Sarg.]

HABIT.--A large tree sometimes reaching a height of 100 feet and a trunk diameter of 5 feet, but usually somewhat smaller; strongly drooping lateral and lower branches form a narrow, oblong crown.

LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 3-6 inches long, one-half as broad; obovate to oblong-oval, more or less dished; coarsely doubly serrate; thick and firm; lustrous, dark green above, pale-pubescent beneath; petioles pubescent, 1/4 inch long.