Christine Buisman (elm cultivar)

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The elm cultivar Ulmus minor Christine Buisman is one of the early results of the Dutch elm breeding programme at Wageningen initiated in response to the less virulent form of Dutch elm disease that afflicted Europe's elms after the First World War. It was cloned in 1931 as 'No. 24', from a selection of U. minor found in Spain which offered some resistance to Dutch elm disease, and released for sale in 1936.

However, the tree had not been thoroughly evaluated in the field, and quickly proved prone to cankers caused by Coral Spot fungus Nectria cinnabarina as it lacked resistance mechanisms to this fungus. Moreover, neither its shape nor foliage was considered very attractive, and it had limited resistance to sea winds; production soon ceased.

Specimens of the tree are retained in the UK at the NCCPG elm collection held by Brighton & Hove City Council, where it is erroneously listed as an Ulmus × hollandica cultivar. In the USA specimens are grown at the Arnold Arboretum, Holden Arboretum, and Longwood Gardens. The tree is not known to have been introduced to Australasia.

The tree is named for Christine Buisman, one of the original team of elm researchers at Wageningen who discovered the cause of Dutch elm disease in 1927.

[edit] References

• Burdekin, D. A. & Rushforth, K. D. (Revised by Webber J. F. 1996). Elms resistant to Dutch elm disease. Arboricultural Research Note 2/96. Arboricultural Advisory and Information Service, Alice Holt, Farnham, UK.
• Heybroek, H. M. (1983). Resistant Elms for Europe. In Burdekin, D. A. (Ed.) Research on Dutch elm disease in Europe. For. Comm. Bull. 60. pp 108 - 113.
• Heybroek, H. M. (1993). The Dutch Elm Breeding Program. In Sticklen & Sherald (Eds.)(1993). Dutch Elm Disease Research, Chapter 3. Springer Verlag, New York, USA