Ulmus gaussenii

Taxobox
status = CR | status_system = IUCN2.3
name = "Ulmus gaussenii"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Rosales
familia = Ulmaceae
genus = "Ulmus"
species = "U. gaussenii"
binomial = "Ulmus gaussenii"
binomial_authority = W. C. Cheng

"Ulmus gaussenii" W. C. Cheng, the Anhui, or Hairy, Elm, is a medium-sized deciduous tree whose natural range is restricted to the valleys of limestone mountains in Anhui Province, eastern China.

Description

The tree 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 Fu, L. & Jin J. (eds). (1992). "China Red Data Book. Rare and endangered plants. Vol. 1". Science Press, Beijing ] 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 tree is resistant to Dutch elm disease and the Elm Leaf Beetle "Xanthogaleruca luteola" [http://www.sunshinenursery.com/survey.htm] .

Cultivation

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 Ware, G. (1995). Little-known elms from China: landscape tree possibilities. "Journal of Arboriculture", (Nov. 1995). International Society of Arboriculture, Champaign, Illinois, USA. [http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/programs/nursery/metria/metria8/m87.pdf] ] . In artificial freezing tests at the arboretum 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.] 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.

Accessions

;North America
*Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois. Planted in West Collections Area.
*Denver Botanic Gardens, neither acc. no. nor origin disclosed
*Morton Arboretum, acc. no. 49-95. Wild collected, Anhui Province, China.

Nurseries

;North America
*Sunshine Nursery [http://www.sunshinenursery.com/catalogue.htm] . Clinton, Oklahoma.

References