Ulmus minor var. goodyeri

Goodyer's Elm, Ulmus minor var. goodyeri, a variety of the subspecies U. m. subsp. angustifolia, was discovered in England by John Goodyer in 1624, growing along the Lymington to Christchurch road at Pennington. All but identical in leaf and branchlet to the Cornish Elm Ulmus minor subsp. angustifolia , the structure of the tree is markedly different, possessing a very distinct fan-shaped form.^[1] As susceptible to Dutch elm disease as its compatriots, no old specimens are known to survive, but the tree is perpetuated by numerous suckering trees, notably in the lanes about the Alice Lisle public house in the New Forest hamlet of Rockford.^[2]

The tree has suffered much misidentification in the centuries since its discovery, firstly by Philip Miller in his 'Gardeners' Dictionary' of 1731,^[3] and later in the early 20th century by Augustine Henry, who confused the tree with Plot's Elm, yclept Lock Elm, Ulmus minor var. plotii, found nearly 200 miles away in the East Midlands, and of completely different appearance.^[4]

Description

The largest tree recorded by Melville was approximately 13 m high, with a broad crown comprising widely-splaying ascending branches. The leaves are small, normally < 6 cm long by < 3 cm broad, with the typical oblique base. The texture of the leaves varies considerably with the tree's age, those of juvenile trees being coarse, those of mature trees smooth, and with longer petioles. The perfect wind-pollinated apetalous flowers are produced on second-year shoots in March; the small, obovate samarae are rarely fertile.

Pests and diseases

Goodyer's Elm has no resistance to Dutch elm disease.

Cultivation

The tree is not known to be in commerce.

Accessions

None known.

References