Ulmus gaussenii

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Ulmus gaussenii
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Ulmaceae
Genus: Ulmus
Species: U. gaussenii
Binomial name
Ulmus gaussenii
W. C. Cheng

Ulmus gaussenii W. C. Cheng, the Anhui Elm, is a medium-sized deciduous tree whose natural range is restricted to the valleys of limestone mountains in Anhui Province, eastern China. It can grow to a height of about 25 m, with a slender trunk < 0.5 m d.b.h. The bark is longitudinally fissured and almost black. The leaves are generally obovate and up to 11 cm long, borne on densely pubescent twigs sometimes featuring flat corky wings. The wind-pollinated petal-less flowers appear in March, the large orbicular samarae < 28 mm diameter ripen in April [1] [2]. The species is very rare in cultivation in West; it was introduced to the Morton Arboretum, Illinois in 1995 as part of an evaluation of Chinese elms for landscape use [3]. In artificial freezing tests at the arboretum [4] the LT50 (temp. at which 50% of tissues die) was found to be - 30.7 °C.

There are no known cultivars of this taxon, nor is it known to be available from any nurseries beyond the USA.

[edit] Arboreta etc accessions

North America

[edit] Nurseries

North America

[edit] References

  1. ^ Fu, L. & Jin J. (eds). (1992). China Red Data Book. Rare and endangered plants. Vol. 1. Science Press, Beijing
  2. ^ Fu, L., Xin, Y. & Whittemore, A. (2002). Ulmaceae, in Wu, Z. & Raven, P. (eds) Flora of China, Vol. 5 (Ulmaceae through Basellaceae). Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, USA. [1]
  3. ^ Ware, G. (1995). Little-known elms from China: landscape tree possibilities. Journal of Arboriculture, (Nov. 1995). International Society of Arboriculture, Champaign, Illinois, USA. [2]
  4. ^ Shirazi, A. M. & Ware, G. H. (2004). Evaluation of New Elms from China for Cold Hardiness in Northern Latitudes. International Symposium on Asian Plant Diversity & Systematics 2004, Sakura, Japan.