Ulmus minor subsp. canescens explained

Ulmus minor subsp. canescens is a small deciduous tree occasionally known by the common names grey elm, grey-leafed elm, and hoary elm. Its natural range extends through the lands of the central and eastern Mediterranean, from southern Italy,^[1] the islands of Sicily,^[2] Malta,^[3] Crete,^[4] Rhodes^[5] and Cyprus, and through Thrace^[6] to Turkey,^{[7] [8]} and as far south as Israel, where it is now considered rare and endangered in the wild.^[9] The tree is typically found amidst the comparatively humid coastal woodlands and scrublands.

Taxonomy

The taxonomy of the tree remains a matter of contention; Melville originally treated the tree as a species in its own right, U. canescens,^[10] while others, notably Richens, and Browicz & Ziel., sank it as a subspecies of Ulmus minor.^{[11] [12]}

Description

The tree is comparatively small, < 20 m high; the slender trunk, its bark coarsely fissured, supporting a rounded crown. The leaves are elliptic to ovate, bluntly toothed, and densely downy on the underside when mature, imbuing them with a distinctive greyish hue.^[8] The young shoots also have a whitish-grey down.^[3] The tree flowers in February and March, the round samarae, < 15 mm diameter, deeply notched at the outer end, ripen in April.^{[13] [14]}

Pests and diseases

Ulmus minor subsp. canescens is highly susceptible to Dutch elm disease.

Cultivation

Ulmus minor subsp. canescens is occasionally planted as a street tree in Israel, notably in Jerusalem near the Damascus Gate along the Prophets Road and Antal Ben Shaddad street. In Nazareth, a line of mature trees is found along the road leading to the Basilica. It is also planted in Jordan, especially Amman. There are no known cultivars of this taxon, nor is it known to be in commerce.

Accessions

North America

• Morton Arboretum, US. Acc. no. 395-76

Europe

• Akamas Botanical Garden, Cyprus. Acc. details not known.
• Grange Farm Arboretum, Sutton St James, Spalding, Lincs., UK. Acc. no. 826.
• Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK. Labelled Ulmus canescens. Acc. no. 20090690. From seed wild collected in Israel. (2017).^[15]
• Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey, UK. Acc. no. 2009.0334. From seed wild collected in Israel.

External links

• Euforgen: elms.
• 4113729. Ulmus canescens: An Eastern Mediterranean Elm. R.. Melville. 1 January 1957. Kew Bulletin. 12. 3. 499–502. 10.2307/4113729.

Notes and References

1. Richens, R. H., Elm (Cambridge 1983), p.18
2. Scialabba, A., M. R. Melati, and F. M. Raimondo. "Taxonomic studies on the Sicilian elms: leaf structure of their species and hybrids." Bocconea 5.2 (1997): 493-504.
3. http://www.maltawildplants.com/ULMC/Ulmus_canescens.php Wild Plants of Malta & Gozo - Plant: Ulmus canescens (Hoary Elm)
4. 'Canescens' in Crete, (1) in the Apokoronas region: George Sfikas, Trees and shrubs of Greece (Athens, 2nd ed. 2001) p.140; (2) in the Aghia Irene gorge in the Temenos region: Natural Europe Project, University of Crete, Small leaved Elm, Ulmus minor subsp. canescens, Avramakis, M., europeana.eu https://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/2023901/content_7af226a0_c461_4c99_8ce8_9de4e41fa3ac.html https://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/2023901/content_7af226a0_c461_4c99_8ce8_9de4e41fa3ac.html https://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/2023901/content_4d069282_11de_4564_a221_670020530ba7.html
5. Flore of Rhodes: Ulmus canescens - Flore of Rhodes, accessdate: October 27, 2016
6. Web site: Herbarium catalogue. Ulmus canescens Melville; specimen from Thrace K000852646 . Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 17 October 2016.
7. Sheet labelled U. minor Mill. subsp. canescens Melville; specimen from Adana, Turkey, 1959
8. Sheet labelled Ulmus canescens Melville; specimen from Phaselis, Turkey, 1974
9. Flora of Israel Online: Ulmus minor Mill. | Flora of Israel Online, accessdate: October 27, 2016
10. Melville, R. (1978). On the discrimination of species in hybrid swarms with special reference to Ulmus and the nomenclature of U. minor (Mill.) and U. carpinifolia (Gled.). Taxon 27: 345-351
11. Richens, R. H., (1983). Elm. Cambridge, p.279
12. Browicz & Ziel. (1977). Arbor. Kórnickie 22: 320 1977.
13. Bean, W. J. (1980). Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain. 8th edition. Murray, UK.
14. Melville, R. (1957). "Ulmus canescens: an eastern Mediterranean elm." Kew Bulletin: 499-502, 1957
15. https://data.rbge.org.uk/search/livingcollection/?cfg=accessions.cfg&acc_num=20090690 RBGE Living Collection, data.rbge.org.uk