Ulmus davidiana var. japonica

Taxobox
status = LC
name = "Ulmus davidiana" var. "japonica"

---

image_caption = Japanese Elm, aged 30 years
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Rosales
familia = Ulmaceae
genus = "Ulmus"
species = "U. davidiana"
trinomial = "Ulmus davidiana" var. "japonica"
trinomial_authority = Rehder
synonyms =
*"Ulmus campestris" Komarov
*"Ulmus campestris" L. var. "japonica" Rehder
*"Ulmus campestris" var. "laevis" Fr. Schmidt
*"Ulmus campestris" var. "vulgaris" Shirasawa
*"Ulmus davidiana" var. "levigata" (C. K. Schneid.), Nakai
*"Ulmus davidiana" var. "japonica" f. "suberosa" Nakai
*"Ulmus japonica" (Rehder), Sarg.
*"Ulmus japonica" var. "levigata" C. K. Schneid.
*"Ulmus propinqua" Koidz.
*"Ulmus wilsoniana" C. K. Schneid.

"Ulmus davidiana" var. "japonica" Rehder, the Japanese Elm, is one of the larger and more graceful Asiatic elms, endemic to much of continental north-east Asia and Japan.

Description

The tree commonly grows to over 30 m tall, with a broad, rounded crown comprising pendent branches, although Augustine Henry described one tree at Iwamigawa, Hokkaido, railway station as being 34 m tall, with an untypically clean stem to a height of approximately 15 m Elwes, H. J. & Henry, A. (1913). "The Trees of Great Britain & Ireland". Vol. VII. pp 1848–1929. Private publication. [http://fax.libs.uga.edu/QK488xE4/7tgbi/] ] . The young shoots often bear corky wings, similar to those of the European Field Elm "U. minor", to which it is closely related. The leaves are generally obovate, up to 110 mm long, and with a coarse upper surface. The perfect, apetalous wind-pollinated flowers emerge in early spring, before the leaves. The samarae are obovate to orbicular, 15 mm long 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. [http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/PDF/PDF05/Ulmus.pdf] ] .

Pests and diseases

The Japanese Elm is resistant to Dutch elm disease and the Elm Leaf Beetle "Xanthogaleruca luteola" [http://www.sunshinenursery.com/survey.htm] .

Cultivation

The tree was introduced to North America in 1895 as seed sent from Sapporo to the Arnold Arboretum, Massachusetts, whence seedlings were donated to Kew Gardens, London, two years later Bean, W. J. (1981). "Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain". 7th edition. Murray, London.] . The Arnold Arboretum specimens grew rapidly, and first flowered aged 12 years. Unlike many Asiatic species, Japanese Elm has also proven tolerant of a mild, maritime climate with high rainfall over winter. Specimens planted at the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Hampshire, England, in 1977 have grown very well on heavy clay in an open location. In trials elsewhere in Hampshire conducted by "Butterfly Conservation", the tree also proved tolerant of dry soils on chalk and soils waterlogged in winter, although growth was comparatively slow Brookes, A. H. (2006). "An evaluation of disease-resistant hybrid and exotic elms as larval host plants for the White-letter Hairstreak butterfly, Satyrium w-album". Part 1. Butterfly Conservation, Lulworth, England.] .

Cultivars and hybrid cultivars

The tree was assessed in Canada as a substitute for native elms that had succumbed. Consequently a number of particularly hardy cultivars were released there in the 1980s; two cultivars were also raised in the USA [http://fletcher.ces.state.nc.us/programs/nursery/metria/metria11/warren/elm.htm] : Discovery, Emerald Sunshine (formerly treated under "U. propinqua" Koidz.),
Freedom, Jacan, Mitsui Centennial, Prospector (formerly treated under Wilson's Elm "U. wilsoniana" C.K. Schneid.), and Thomson 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 & Information Service, Alice Holt Lodge, Farnham, England.] .

The Japanese Elm was widely used in the USA in hybridization experiments at the Morton Arboretum and University of Wisconsin Santamour, J., Frank, S. & Bentz, S. (1995). Updated checklist of elm (Ulmus) cultivars for use in North America. "Journal of Arboriculture", 21:3 (May 1995), 121-131. International Society of Arboriculture, Champaign, Illinois, USA ] Smalley, E. B. & Guries, R. P. (1993). Breeding Elms for Resistance to Dutch Elm Disease. "Annual Review of Phytopathology" Vol. 31 : 325-354. Palo Alto, California] , resulting in the release of the following cultivars: Cathedral, Morton (Accolade). Morton Glossy (Triumph), Morton Plainsman (Vanguard), Morton Red Tip (Danada Charm), Morton Stalwart (Commendation), New Horizon, Patriot, Rebone, Repura, Revera, Sapporo Autumn Gold. The species has also been crossed with Dutch hybrids by the Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante (IPP) in Florence, Italy. Three clones are currently (2007) under evaluation in Italy, and England by "Butterfly Conservation": FL 601, FL 610 and FL 626.

Accessions

;North America
*Arnold Arboretum, acc. nos. 4119 (from cult. material), 917-78, wild collected in Korea.
*Brenton Arboretum, Dallas Center, Iowa, as "U. wilsoniana". No details available.
*Brooklyn Botanic Garden [http://www.bbg.org/cgi/bgbase/search.cgi] , New York, acc. no. 780251 (as "U. japonica").
*Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois. 1 tree in the West Collections Area, listed as "U. propinqua" var. "suberosa".
*Dawes Arboretum [http://www.dawesarb.org/collectionsgardens/plant-search.asp] , Newark, Ohio. 1 tree, no acc. details available.
*Holden Arboretum, acc. nos. 80-664 (unrecorded provenance), 97-126, wild collected in Korea.
*Morton Arboretum acc. nos. 514-39, 679-62, 680-62, 354-U, also two others under the synonyms of "U. propinqua" Koidz. or Cork Bark Elm (acc. no. 53-96), and "U. propinqua" Koidz. var. "suberosa", collected from the Nei Mongol Zizhiqu Autonomus Region, China, (acc. no. 52-95). ;Europe
*Brighton & Hove City Council, UK, NCCPG elm collection [http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1108042]
*Grange Farm, Sutton St. James, Spalding, Lincolnshire, UK, (as "Ulmus japonica") acc. no. 514
*Great Fontley Farm, Fareham, UK, "Butterfly Conservation" Elm Trials plantation, Home Field J6, (planted 2002, grown from seed collected from the Great Elm, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan).
*Hortus Botanicus Nationalis, Salaspils, Latvia acc. nos. 18128,29,30,31.
*Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK, (as "U. japonica"), acc. no. 19031053.
*Royal Botanic Garden Kew, UK acc. nos. 1995-581, 1995-1305
*Royal Horticultural Society Gardens, Wisley (as "U. japonica"), no details available.
*Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, UK, (as "U. japonica"), acc. nos. 1977.5234, 1977.5972, 1977.6373, 1982.4019, all trees 12 m - 14 m in height.
*Thenford House arboretum, Oxfordshire, UK, no details available.

Nurseries

;North America
*Sunshine Nursery [http://www.sunshinenursery.com/catalogue.htm] , Clinton, Oklahoma ;EuropeOnly as cultivar; see 'Prospector'

References

External links

* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ulda USDA Plant Guide: Ulmus davidiana]