Ulmus minor var. italica explained

Ulmus minor var. italica was first described by Augustine Henry in 1913, as a 'variety' of field elm from Italy, Spain, Portugal and Algeria. He called it Ulmus nitens var. italica, 'Mediterranean Elm'.^{[1] [2]} The variety was accepted by Krüssman (1984), despite the wide source-area claimed for it, as a non-clonal cultivar, U. carpinifolia var. italica Henry. Bean (1988), however, considered it "a variety of rather dubious standing",^[3] and it was ignored by Richens (1983), who listed instead a "small-leaved U. minor of Spain" and a "narrow-leaved U. minor of northern and central Italy", as well as "the densely hairy leaved U. minor of southern Italy",^[4] the latter being Ulmus minor subsp. canescens, formerly Melville's Ulmus canescens.

Description

Henry described var. italica as a smooth-leaved field elm growing to 80 feet, distinguished by its 14 to 18 pairs of leaf-veins, an unusually high number for this species. Several Italian field elm authorities offering diagnostic leaf-photographs of local olmo campestre show leaves with 14 to 18 vein-pairs.^{[5] [6] [7] [8] [9]} Henry's description also mentions leathery leaves, conspicuous axil-tufts, and a quarter-inch (about 1 cm) petiole.

Pests and diseases

Italian field elm is susceptible to Dutch elm disease and Elm leaf beetle Xanthogalerucella luteola Müll.^[10]

Cultivation

" ... The most exquisite districts, from an Anglo-Saxon point of appreciation, where magnificent elms, fresh green meadows, luxuriant cattle, running brooks, and a variety of wild flowers, unite to give the landscape a parklike aspect, are the valley of the Arrone near Boccea and the valley of the Rivus Albanus near Decimo."
– From Rodolfo Lanciani , Wanderings in the Roman Campagna (1909), p. 68.^[11]

Field elm has been described as "a well adapted and appreciated species" in Italy.^[10] Henry gave examples of cultivation of var. italica both there and in the wider source-area claimed for it. Of plantings outside the source-area, he mentioned a specimen sent to Kew Gardens, while Krüssman (1984) included a photograph of var. italica Henry planted in Gisselfeld Park, Denmark.^[12] There was a tree so labelled in Maastricht in the mid-20th century.^[13] The variety was propagated and marketed by the Hillier & Sons nursery, Winchester, Hampshire, in the mid-20th century.^{[14] [15] [16]} E. E. Kemp, curator of Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, noted (1979) that in the Netherlands, "where much nursery stock of smooth-leaved elm is raised, about 75% of the seed is obtained from Italian suppliers".^[17]

Notable trees

Henry described a number of notable old specimens "of this variety", including one at the Villa Paveri-Fontana, Collecchio, Parma, with a bole 20 feet in girth. A centuries-old field elm, 5.5 metres in girth and possibly an example of Henry's var. italica, survives (2009) in the town of Mergozzo in Piedmont.

Notes and References

1. Book: Elwes. Henry John. Henry John Elwes. Henry. Augustine. Augustine Henry. 1913. The Trees of Great Britain & Ireland. 7. 1892–1893.
2. [Henry John Elwes|Elwes]
3. http://beanstreesandshrubs.org/browse/ulmus/ulmus-carpinifolia-gleditsch/ Bean, W. J., Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain (1988) beanstreesandshrubs.org
4. Richens, R. H., Elm (Cambridge 1983), p.18
5. http://www.floraitaliae.actaplantarum.org/viewtopic.php?t=3509 floraitaliae.actaplantarum.org
6. http://www.meditflora.com/flora/ulmuns_minor.htm meditflora.com
7. http://bonsaiaq.altervista.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=75#p75 bonsaiaq.altervista.org
8. http://luirig.altervista.org/flora/taxa/index1.php?scientific-name=ulmus+minor luirig.altervista.org
9. http://www.ifepadova.it/home/italiano/schede%20piante/officinali/Olmo%20campestre.html ifepadova.it
10. Mittempergher, L., 'Dutch elm disease in Italy', in Research on Dutch Elm Disease in Europe, ed. D. A. Burdekin (London, 1983), p.105-6
11. https://archive.org/details/b31366156/page/70/mode/2up Elms by Rivus Albanus near Decimo, now the Regional Park of Decima-Malafede; photo by A. Vochieri, in Lanciani, Rodolfo, Wanderings in the Roman Campagna (1909), p. 71
12. Krüssman, Gerd, Manual of Cultivated Broad-Leaved Trees & Shrubs (1984 vol. 3), pl.144
13. Sheet labelled U. nitens var. italica Henry, Maastricht, 1932
14. Trees and Shrubs Catalogue, Hillier & Sons, 1958–1959
15. Hillier & Sons (1977). Catalogue of Trees & Shrubs. Hillier, Ampfield, UK.
16. Hillier & Sons Sales inventory 1962 to 1977 (unpublished).
17. Book: Kemp, Eddie. Clouston. Brian. Stansfield. Kathy. 1979. After the Elm. 35. The Plantsman's Elm. William Heinemann Ltd.. London. 9780434139002.