Ulmaceae

Taxobox
name = Ulmaceae


image_width = 240px
image_caption = Asymmetrical leaf base of "Ulmus rubra"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Rosales
familia = Ulmaceae
familia_authority = Mirb.
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = "Ampelocera" Klotzsch "Chaetachme" Planch.
"Hemiptelea" Planch.
"Holoptelea" Planch.
"Phyllostylon" Benth.
"Planera aquatica" J.F.Gmel. - Water Elm "Ulmus" L. - Elms "Zelkova" Spach

Ulmaceae is a family of flowering plant that includes the elms (genus "Ulmus"), and the zelkovas (genus "Zelkova"). [cite journal
last = Denk
first = T
coauthors = GW Grimm
title = Phylogeny and biogeography of Zelkova (Ulmaceae sensu stricto) as inferred from leaf morphology, ITS sequence data and the fossil record
journal = Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society
volume = 147
issue = 2
pages = 129–157
publisher = Linnean Society of London
month = February | year = 2005
doi = 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2005.00354.x
accessdate = 2007-06-12] Members of the family are widely distributed throughout the north temperate zone, and have a scattered distribution elsewhere except for Australasia. [cite web|last = Watson|first = L.|coauthors = Dallwitz, M. J.|title = The Families of Flowering Plants: Ulmaceae Mirb.|date = 1992 onwards|url = http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/ulmaceae.htm|accessdaymonth = 21 November | accessyear=2006] cite web|last = Stevens|first = P|title = Angiosperm Phylogeny Website|publisher = Missouri Botanical Garden|date = 2001 onwards|url = http://www.mobot.org/mobot/research/APweb/welcome.html|accessdaymonth = 21 November | accessyear=2006]

The family is sometimes also treated to include the hackberries, ("Celtis" and allies), but analysis by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group members suggests that these genera are better placed in the related family Cannabaceae. The circumscription included in the taxobox is the one suggested by P. Stevens on his Missouri Botanical Garden Angiosperm Phylogeny Website and includes information from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Vascular Plant Families and Genera list. Some classifications also include the genus "Ampelocera". [cite journal
last = Uedal
first = Kunihiko
coauthors = K Kosuge and H Tobe
title = A molecular phylogeny of celtidaceae and ulmaceae (Urticales) based onrbcL Nucleotide sequences
journal = Journal of Plant Research
volume = 110
issue = 2
pages = 171–178
publisher = Springer Japan
month = June | year = 1997
accessdate = 2007-06-12
doi = 10.1007/BF02509305]

Description

The family is a group of evergreen or deciduous trees and shrubs with mucilagenous substances in leaf and bark tissue. Leaves are usually alternate on the stems. The leaf blades are simple (not compound), with entire (smooth) or variously toothed margins, and often have an asymmetrical base. The flowers are small and either bisexual or unisexual. [cite journal
last = Sytsma
first = KJ
coauthors = J Morawetz, C Pires, M Nepokroeff, E Conti, M Zjhra,JC Hall, and MW Chase
title = Urticalean rosids: Circumscription, rosid ancestry, and phylogenetics based on "RBCL", "TRNL-F", and "NDHF" sequences
journal = American Journal of Botany
volume = 89
issue = 9
pages = 1531–1546
publisher = Botanical Society of America
year = 2002
accessdate = 2007-06-12
doi = 10.3732/ajb.89.9.1531] The fruit is an indehiscent samara, nut, or drupe. "Ulmus" provides important timber trees mostly for furniture, and "U. rubra", the Slippery elm is a medicinal plant known for the demulcent property of its inner bark. "Planera aquatica" is also a timber species. "Planera", "Ulmus", and "Zelkova" are all grown as ornamental trees.

References