Ulmus 'Myrtifolia Purpurea' Explained

Ulmus 'Myrtifolia Purpurea'
Cultivar:	'Myrtifolia Purpurea'
Genus:	Ulmus
Origin:	Belgium

The Elm cultivar Ulmus 'Myrtifolia Purpurea', the Purple Myrtle-leaved Elm, was first mentioned by Louis de Smet of Ghent (1877) as Ulmus myrtifolia purpurea.^[1] An U. campestris myrtifolia purpurea Hort. was distributed by Louis van Houtte in the 1880s,^[2] by the Späth nursery, Berlin, in the 1890s and early 1900s,^[3] and by the Hesse Nursery, Weener, Germany, till the 1930s.^[4]

Schneider,^[5] Henry,^[6] and Green^[7] believed 'Myrtifolia Purpurea' a synonym of U. minor 'Purpurascens',^[8] which was also first listed in 1877.

The cultivar U. 'Myrtifolia' is not related to 'Myrtifolia Purpurea'.^[9]

Description

The catalogue of the Späth nursery described U. campestris myrtifolia purpurea as having very small reddish leaves.^{[10] [11]}

Pests and diseases

Not known.

Cultivation

'Myrtifolia Purpurea' was occasionally cultivated as an ornamental. One tree was planted in 1893, as U. campestris myrtifolia purpurea, at the Dominion Arboretum, Ottawa, Canada.^[12] Three specimens were supplied by the Späth nursery to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 1902 as U. campestris myrtifolia purpurea, and may still exist in Edinburgh as it was the practice of the Garden to distribute trees about the city (viz. the Wentworth Elm);^[13] the current list of Living Accessions held in the Garden per se does not list the plant.^[14] U. myrtifolia purpurea, a small tree with "elegant foliage of beautiful color", appeared in the 1902 catalogue of the Bobbink and Atkins nursery, Rutherford, New Jersey,^[15] and in Kelsey's 1904 catalogue, New York.^[16]

Notable trees

Three small-leaved purple-flushing elms survive in Hove, one of them the UK champion (see 'Accessions'). Until 2018 one was misidentified as the large-leaved purple elm U. × hollandica 'Purpurascens'. Of the two names for small-leaved purple-flushing elm – U. 'Myrtifolia Purpurea' and U. minor 'Purpurascens' (likely synonyms) – the former was the commoner in nursery lists.

Accessions

Europe

• Brighton & Hove City Council, UK. NCCPG Elm Collection.^[17] Cottesmore St. Mary School, Hove (1 tree, National Champion, 18 m high, 51 cm d.b.h. in 1993^[18]); Brighton & Hove Prep School, Radinden Manor Rd, Hove (1 tree);^[19] Davigdor Road, Hove (1 tree).^[20]

Synonymy

• U. minor 'Purpurascens': Schneider,^[5] Henry,^[6] Green.^[7]

Notes and References

1. de Smet, Louis, Cat. 10, Ghent, Belgium, p.59, 1877
2. https://archive.org/stream/vHoutte195Arbr#page/n47/mode/2up Cultures de Louis van Houtte: Plantes Vivaces de Pleine Terre
3. Book: 1902–1903. Katalog. L. Späth Baumschulenweg. Berlin, Germany. 108. 132–133.
4. Book: Hesse. Hermann Albert. Preis- und Sortenliste. 1932. 96-97. 18 January 2018.
5. https://archive.org/stream/illustrierteshan01schnuoft#page/220/mode/2up Illustriertes Handbuch der Laubholzkunde, 1:220, 1904
6. Book: Elwes. Henry John. Henry John Elwes. Henry. Augustine. Augustine Henry. 1913. The Trees of Great Britain & Ireland. 7. 1905.
7. Green . Peter Shaw . Peter Shaw Green . 1964 . Registration of cultivar names in Ulmus. Arnoldia . 24. 41–80 . 6–8 . . 16 February 2017.
8. Green . Peter Shaw . Peter Shaw Green . 1964 . Registration of cultivar names in Ulmus. Arnoldia . 24. 41–80 . 6–8 . . 16 February 2017.
9. Rehder . Alfred . 1939 . Rehder, new species, varieties and combinations. Journal of the Arnold Arboretum . 20. 87–88 . 12 August 2016.
10. Book: 1902–1903. Katalog. L. Späth Baumschulenweg. Berlin, Germany. 108. 132–133.
11. http://science.udau.edu.ua/assets/files/maslovata-mamchur-parubok.pdf Herbarium specimen of U. campestris myrtifolia purpurea, science.udau.edu.ua
12. Book: Catalogue of the trees and shrubs in the arboretum and botanic gardens at the central experimental farm. 1899. 2. 76.
13. Book: 1902. Accessions book. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. 45, 47.
14. Web site: List of Living Accessions: Ulmus. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. 21 September 2016.
15. Book: 1902 . Bobbink and Atkins, Rutherford. N.J.. 51.
16. Book: General catalogue, 1904 : choice hardy trees, shrubs, evergreens, roses, herbaceous plants, fruits, etc.. Frederick W. Kelsey. 1904. New York. 18.
17. Web site: List of plants in the collection. Brighton & Hove City Council. 23 September 2016.
18. Johnson, O. (2011). Champion Trees of Britain & Ireland, p. 168. Kew Publishing, Kew, London.
19. Web site: Ulmus 'Myrtifolia Purpurea' / Ulmus minor 'Purpurascens', near Brighton & Hove Prep School, Hove . Google Maps . May 2014. 2018-05-31 .
20. Web site: Ulmus 'Myrtifolia Purpurea' / Ulmus minor 'Purpurascens', 6 Davigdor Road, Hove . Google Maps . April 2017. 2018-06-02 .