| Ulmus castaneifolia | |
|---|---|
| Chestnut-leafed Elm aged 15 years, Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, UK | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Ulmaceae |
| Genus: | Ulmus |
| Species: | U. castaneifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Ulmus castaneifolia Hemsley |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Ulmus ferruginea W. C. Cheng Ulmus multinervis W. C. Cheng |
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The Chestnut-leafed, or Multinerved, Elm Ulmus castaneifolia Hemsley is a small deciduous tree found across much of China in broadleaved forests at elevations of between 500 m and 1600 m.
Contents |
The tree can reach a height of 20 m with a trunk of about 0.5 m d.b.h. The bark is thick with a pronounced corky layer, and is longitudinally fissured. The branchlets are devoid of the corky wings common to many elms. The leaves are generally narrow, ranging from obovate to elliptic, < 15 cm long, and densely hirsute when young. The perfect wind-pollinated apetalous flowers are produced on second-year shoots in February; the samarae are mostly obovate < 30 mm × 16 mm. [1] [2]
Resistant to Dutch elm disease, and Elm Leaf Beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola [2].
The species is very rare in cultivation, but is currently (2006) being assessed for its horticultural potential at the Morton Arboretum, Illinois. In artificial freezing tests at the arboretum [3] the LT50 (temp. at which 50% of tissues die) was found to be - 26 °C. There are no known cultivars of this taxon, nor is it known to be in commerce beyond the USA.