Ulmus 'Exoniensis'

Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'Exoniensis'
Exeter Elm in Amsterdam
Genus	Ulmus
Cultivar	'Exoniensis'
Origin	Exeter, England

Ulmus 'Exoniensis', the Exeter elm, was discovered near Exeter, England, in 1826, and propagated by the Ford & Please nursery in that city.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] Traditionally believed to be a cultivar of the Wych Elm U. glabra, its fastigiate shape when young, upward-curving tracery, small samarae and leaves, late leaf-flush and late leaf-fall, taken with its south-west England provenance, suggest a link with the Cornish Elm, which shares these characteristics. The seed, however, is on the stalk side of the samara, a feature of wych elm and its cultivars, whereas in hybrids it would be displaced towards the notch.^[6]^[7]

Description

The tree initially has an upright, columnar form,^[8] but later develops a large rounded crown and occasionally reaches 17 m in height. Older specimens may develop pendulous branches.^[9] Exeter Elm is chiefly distinguished by its contorted leaves, < 11 cm long by 8 cm broad, rounder than the type [wych] and with more laciniate margins,^[10]^[11] which occasionally wrap around the branchlets and remain thus well into winter.^[12] 'Exoniensis' is often pollarded to produce a denser, fan-shaped crown (see main picture).

'Exoniensis' samarae
'Exoniensis' in April
'Exoniensis' foliage
Dried 'Exoniensis' leaves
Bole of Exeter Elm
Old unpollarded Exeter Elm, Lochend Park, Edinburgh, showing pendulous branch
'Exoniensis' scion grafted on U. minor stock

Pests and diseases

Chevalier noted (1942) that Ulmus montana fastigiata (Exeter Elm) was one of four European cultivars found by researchers in The Netherlands to have significant resistance to the earlier strain of Dutch elm disease prevalent in the 1920s and '30s, the others being 'Monumentalis' Rinz, 'Berardii' and 'Vegeta'. The four were rated less resistant than U. foliacea clone 23, from Spain, later cultivated as U. minor 'Christine Buisman'.^[13] 'Exoniensis' possesses a moderate resistance to the more virulent strain of Dutch elm disease, and consequently often featured in the Dutch elm breeding programme in association with the Field Elm (U. minor) and Himalayan Elm (U. wallichiana).^[14]

Cultivation

Once commonly planted in the UK and parts of western Europe, 'Exoniensis' is also known to have been marketed in Poland in the 19th century by the Ulrich nursery,^[15] Warsaw, and remains in commerce there. The Späth nursery of Berlin cultivated the tree as U. montana fastigiata (U. exoniensis Hort.) from the early 20th century.^[16] It is possible that three trees supplied by the Späth nursery to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 1902 as U. montana fastigiata^[17] were Exeter Elm,^[16] old specimens of which survive in Edinburgh (it was the practice of the Garden to distribute trees about the city).^[17] In Sweden 'Exoniensis' is sometimes pruned from an early age to form a tidy cone-shaped tree called locally 'pyramidalm' (: pyramid elm - also one of Späth's names for 'Exoniensis').^[18]^[19]^[20] It is found in Australia at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens where it is listed on the Significant Tree Register of the National Trust. An Ulmus plumosa (a synonym of 'Exoniensis' in continental Europe^[21]), of "elegant and pyramidal shape" and "dark green foliage", appeared in the 1902 catalogue of the Bobbink and Atkins nursery, Rutherford, New Jersey.^[22]

'Pyramidalm' [:pyramid elm] (pruned 'Exoniensis'), Garden Society of Gothenburg, Sweden (2014)
Same (1944)

Notable trees

Bean (1936) noted a large old specimen, 12 feet in girth, in the garden of the Old Vicarage, Bitton, Gloucestershire.^[23] A 180-year-old specimen in Hamburg has attained a height of 28 m and a trunk diameter of 1.45 m.^[24] The UK TROBI Champion tree is in Scotland, at Baxter Park, Dundee, measuring 15 m high by 103 cm d.b.h. in 2004.^[25] The cultivar is represented in Éire by a tree at Birr Castle (Mount Palmer), County Offaly, with a d.b.h. of 29 cm when measured in 2002.

Hybrid cultivars

'Clusius', 'Columella', 'Dodoens', 'Lobel', 'Plantyn', 'Nanguen' = Lutèce, 'Wanoux' = Vada. The cultivar 'Columella' features the same rough, rounded, contorted leaves, the result of a recessive gene inherited from the Exeter Elm.

'Exoniensis' also indirectly featured in the Italian elm breeding programme as an ancestor of 'Plantyn', which was crossed with clones of the Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila to produce the cultivars 'Arno', 'Plinio', and 'San Zanobi'.^[26]^[27]

Synonymy

Ulmus campestris var. nuda subvar. fastigiata oxfortii Hort. Vilv., probable misspelling.
Ulmus fordii Hort.: Loudon, Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum, 3: 1399, 1838.
Ulmus montana fastigiata: Loudon, Arboretum et Fruticetum Britannicum, 3: 1399, 1838.
Ulmus montana f. fastigiata plumosa Hort.: Schelle in Beissner et al. Handbuch der Laubholz-Benennung 85. 1903.
Ulmus ontariensis Hort. ex. Steud.
Ulmus plumosa: C. de Vos [5],^[28]
Ulmus plumosa foliis variegatis: C. de Vos, Woordenboek 137, 1867.
Ulmus suberosa oxoniensis: Audibert, Tonelle, Tarascon, France Catalogue, 1832, probable misspelling.^[11]
Ulmus ? var. replicata: Masters, Hortus Duroverni, 67, 1831, name in synonymy.

Accessions

Europe

Arboretum Trompenburg [6], Netherlands. No details available.
Brighton & Hove City Council, UK. NCCPG Elm Collection.^[29] A number of trees, large specimens at Stanmer Park Arboretum (1), Linkway Lodge, Hollingdean (40+), University of Sussex (3) and Whitehawk Way (2).
Cambridge Botanic Garden [7], University of Cambridge, UK. 1 tree, no accession details available.
Dubrava Arboretum, Lithuania. No details available.
Grange Farm Arboretum [8], Sutton St. James, Spalding, Lincs., UK. Acc. no. 829.
Hortus Botanicus Nationalis, Salaspils, Latvia. Acc. nos. 18105,6,7.
Linnaean Gardens of Uppsala, Sweden. Acc. no. 0000–1006.
Museum Castle Sypesteyn, Nieuw-Loosdrechtsedijk 150, Loosdrecht, (Wijdemeren, Netherlands) 3 mature trees planted in 1910.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK. Acc. no. 19699363.
Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Romsey, UK. Acc. nos. 1977.6756, 1977.7086.
Tallinn Botanic Garden, Estonia [9]. No accession details available.
University of Copenhagen, Botanic Garden, Denmark. No details available.
Netherlands Plant Collection Ulmus Wijdemeren, 1 tree planted, 2021 Molenmeent Loosdrecht^[30]

Australasia

Ballarat Botanical Gardens, Australia. Acc. details not known.

References

^ Bean, W. J. (1981). Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain, 7th edition. Murray, London
^ Elwes, Henry John; Henry, Augustine (1913). The Trees of Great Britain & Ireland. Vol. 7. p. 1866.
^ Richens, R. H. (1983). Elm. Cambridge University Press.
^ White, J. & More, D. (2003). Trees of Britain and Northern Europe. Cassell's, London.
^ Harvey, J. (1974). Early Nurserymen. p.104. Phillimore & Co. Ltd. 1975. ISBN 978-0850331929
^ Coleman, Max, ed.: Wych Elm (Edinburgh, 2009)
^ Fruit of Exeter elm, exetertrees.uk
^ Photograph of fastigiate form of young Exeter elm
^ Wilkinson, Gerald, Epitaph for the Elm (London 1978), p.62
^ Bean, W. J. (1936) Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain, 7th edition, Murray, London, vol. 2, p.617
^ ^a ^b "Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, spécimen P06883092" Two clones, (left) U. exoniensis (misnamed "U. oxoniensis" in France in 19th century), (right) U. pyramidata (1863)
^ Photograph of 'Exoniensis' leaves in early summer
^ "Les Ormes de France" (PDF). Revue de botanique appliquée et d'agriculture coloniale. 22 (254): 441. 1942.
^ Heybroek, H.M. (1993). "The Dutch Elm Breeding Program". In Sticklen, Mariam B.; Sherald, James L. (eds.). Dutch Elm Disease Research. New York, USA: Springer-Verlag. pp. 16–25. ISBN 978-1-4615-6874-2. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
^ Ulrich, C. (1894), Katalog Drzew i Krezewow, C. Ulrich, Rok 1893–94, Warszawa
^ ^a ^b Katalog (PDF). Vol. 108. Berlin, Germany: L. Späth Baumschulenweg. 1902–1903. pp. 132–133.
^ ^a ^b Accessions book. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. 1902. pp. 45, 47.
^ Photographs of 'Pyramidalm' and unpruned 'Exoniensis' in Sweden, www.tradgardsakademin.se [1]
^ Lagerstedt, Lars (2014). "Märkesträd i Sverige - 10 Almar" [Notable trees in Sweden - 10 Elms] (PDF). Lustgården. 94: 63, 73. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
^ Lars Lagerstedt, Pyramid Elm in Lustgarden, 2013, p.40
^ De Vos, C. (1867). Beredeneerd woordenboek der voornaamste heesters en coniferen, in Nederland gekweekt. Groningen: J. B. Wolters. p. 135.
^ Bobbink and Atkins, Rutherford. N.J. 1902. p. 51.
^ Bean, W. J. (1936) Trees and shrubs hardy in Great Britain, 7th edition, Murray, London, vol. 2, p.617
^ U. glabra 'Exoniensis', the "Planten un Blomen", Hamburg: from the Handbuch der Ulmengewächse, [2]
^ Johnson, O. (2011). Champion Trees of Britain & Ireland, p. 169. Kew Publishing, Kew, London. ISBN 9781842464526.
^ Santini A., Fagnani A., Ferrini F. & Mittempergher L., (2002) 'San Zanobi' and 'Plinio' elm trees. [3] HortScience 37(7): 1139–1141. 2002. American Society for Horticultural Science, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA.
^ Santini A., Fagnani A., Ferrini F., Mittempergher L., Brunetti M., Crivellaro A., Macchioni N., Elm breeding for DED resistance, the Italian clones and their wood properties. [4] Archived 26 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine Invest Agrar: Sist. Recur. For. (2004) 13 (1), 179–184. 2004
^ De Vos, C. (1867). Beredeneerd woordenboek der voornaamste heesters en coniferen, in Nederland gekweekt. Groningen: J. B. Wolters. p. 136.
^ "List of plants in the {elm} collection". Brighton & Hove City Council. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
^ Netherlands Plant Collection: Iepen, Ulmus

Elm species, varieties, hybrids, hybrid cultivars and species cultivars

Species, varieties and subspecies

U. alata (Winged elm)
U. americana (American elm)
U. americana var. floridana (Florida elm)
U. bergmanniana (Bergmann's elm)
U. bergmanniana var. bergmanniana
U. bergmanniana var. lasiophylla
U. castaneifolia (Chestnut-leafed or multinerved elm)
U. changii (Hangzhou elm)
U. changii var. changii
U. changii var. kunmingensis (Kunming elm)
U. chenmoui (Chenmou or Langya Mountain elm)
U. chumlia
U. crassifolia (Cedar or Texas cedar elm)
U. davidiana (David or Father David elm)
U. davidiana var. davidiana
U. davidiana var. japonica (Japanese elm)
U. elongata (Long raceme elm)
U. gaussenii (Anhui or hairy elm)
U. glabra (Wych or scots elm)
U. glaucescens (Gansu elm)
U. glaucescens var. glaucescens
U. glaucescens var. lasiocarpa (hairy-fruited glaucescent elm)
U. harbinensis (Harbin elm)
U. ismaelis
U. laciniata (Manchurian cut-leaf or lobed elm)
U. laciniata var. nikkoensis (Nikko elm)
U. laevis (European white elm)
U. laevis var. celtidea
U. laevis var. parvifolia
U. laevis var. simplicidens
U. lamellosa (Hebei elm)
U. lanceifolia (Vietnam elm)
U. macrocarpa (Large-fruited elm)
U. macrocarpa var. glabra
U. macrocarpa var. macrocarpa
U. mexicana (Mexican elm)
U. microcarpa (Tibetan elm)
U. minor (Field elm)
U. minor subsp. minor
U. minor var. italica
U. parvifolia (Chinese or lacebark elm)
U. parvifolia var. coreana (Korean elm)
U. prunifolia (Cherry-leafed elm)
U. pseudopropinqua (Harbin spring elm)
U. pumila (Siberian elm)
U. rubra (Slippery elm)
U. serotina (September elm)
U. szechuanica (Szechuan (Sichuan) or red-fruited elm)
U. thomasii (Rock or cork elm)
U. uyematsui (Alishan elm)
U. villosa (Cherry-bark or marn elm)
U. wallichiana (Himalayan or kashmir elm)
U. wallichiana subsp. wallichiana
U. wallichiana subsp. xanthoderma
U. wallichiana var. tomentosa

Disputed species, varieties and subspecies

U. boissieri
U. minor subsp. canescens (Grey, grey-leafed or hoary elm)
U. elliptica

Hybrids

U. davidiana var. japonica × U. minor
U. × arbuscula
U. × arkansana
U. × brandisiana
U. × diversifolia
U. × hollandica (Dutch elm)
U. × hollandica var. insularum
U. × intermedia
U. × mesocarpa

Species cultivars

American elm	American Liberty Ascendens Augustine Aurea Beaverlodge Beebe's Weeping Brandon Burgoyne JFS Prince II College Columnaris Creole Queen Deadfree Delaware Exhibition Fiorei Flick's Spreader Folia Aurea Variegata Great Plains Hines Incisa Independence Iowa State Jackson Jefferson Kimley Klehmii L'Assomption Lake City Lewis & Clark Littleford Maine Markham Miller Park Minneapolis Park Moline Morden New Harmony Nigricans Patmore Pendula Penn Treaty Princeton Pyramidata Queen City Sheyenne Skinner Upright St. Croix Star Valley Forge Variegata Vase Washington
Cedar elm	Brazos Rim
Chinese elm	A-1 A. Ross Central Park Blizzard BSNUPF Burgundy Burnley Select Catlin Chessins Churchyard Cork Bark D. B. Cole Drake Dynasty Ed Wood Elsmo Emer I Emer II Emerald Prairie Frosty Garden City Clone Geisha Glory Golden Rey Hallelujah Hokkaido Jade Empress King's Choice Littleleaf Lois Hole Matthew Milliken Nire-keyaki Ohio Orange Ribbon Pathfinder Pendens Prairie Shade Prince Richard Red Fall Sabamiki Sagei Seiju Select 380 Sempervirens Small Frye State Fair Stone's Dwarf Taiwan The Thinker Todd True Green UPMTF Ware's Yarralumla Yatsubusa Zettler Ulmus parvifolia f. lanceolata
European white elm	Aureovariegata Colorans Helena Ornata Pendula Punctata Urticifolia
Field elm	Ademuz Albo-Dentata Amplifolia Argenteo-Variegata Atinia Atinia Pyramidalis Atinia Variegata Bea Schwarz Biltii Christine Buisman Concavaefolia Coritana Cretensis Cucullata Cucullata Variegata Dehesa de Amaniel Dehesa de la Villa Dicksonii Dijkwel Erecta Folia Alba-Punctata Glandulosa Goodyeri Hoersholmiensis Holmstruph Hunnybunii Hunnybunii pseudo-Stricta Laciniata Lanuginosa Majadahonda Microphylla Pendula Microphylla Purpurea Microphylla Rubra Monumentalis Pendula Picturata Plotii Propendens Punctata Purpurascens Purpurea Retiro Reverti Rugosa Rueppellii Sarniensis Schuurhoek Silvery Gem Sowerbyi Stricta Suberosa Umbraculifera Gracilis Umbraculifera Viminalis Viminalis Aurea Viminalis Betulaefolia Viminalis Gracilis Viminalis Incisa Viminalis Marginata Viminalis Pendula Viminalis Pulverulenta Viminalis Stricta Virgata Webbiana
Japanese elm	Discovery Freedom Jacan JFS-Bieberich Mitsui Centennial Prospector Reperta Reseda Thomson Validation
Siberian elm	Ansaloni Aurea Aurescens Chinkota Dropmore Dwarf Weeper Green King Hansen Harbin Manchu Mauro Mr. Buzz Park Royal Pendula Pinnato-ramosa Poort Bulten Puszta Pyramidalis Fiorei Zhonghua Jinye
Winged elm	Lace Parasol
Wych elm	Albo-Variegata Australis Camperdownii Cebennensis Concavaefolia Cornuta Corylifolia Purpurea Corylifolia Dovaei Fastigiata Macrophylla Fastigiata Stricta Fastigiata Variegata Firma Flava Gigantea Gittisham Grandidentata Holgeri Horizontalis Insularis Latifolia Latifolia Aurea Latifolia Aureo-Variegata Latifolia Nigricans Luteo Variegata Lutescens Macrophylla Maculata Minor Nana Nigra Nitida Oblongata Pendula Macrophylla Pendula Variegata Pyrenaica Spectabilis Superba Tomentosa

Hybrid cultivars

Androssowii Amsterdam Arno Cathedral Clusius Columella Den Haag Dodoens Escaillard Fiorente Frontier Fuente Umbria Homestead Karagatch Lobel Morfeo Morton Morton Glossy Morton Plainsman Morton Red Tip Morton Stalwart Nanguen New Horizon Patriot Plantyn Plinio Rebella Rebona Recerta Regal Repura Revera San Zanobi Sapporo Autumn Gold Sapporo Gold 2 Stavast Toledo Urban Wanoux Wingham
Dutch elm	Alba Angustifolia Balder Belgica Blandford Canadian Giant Cicestria Cinerea Commelin Dampieri Dauvessei Daveyi Dumont Elegantissima Eleganto-Variegata Etrusca Fastigiata Fjerrestad Folia Rhomboidea Freja Fulva Gaujardii Groeneveld Haarlemensis Klemmer Loke Macrophylla Aurea Major Microphylla Modiolina Muscaviensis Odin Pioneer Pitteurs Serpentina Smithii Superba Tricolor Tyr Vegeta Viminalis Viscosa Wentworthii Pendula Wredei Ypreau
U. × intermedia	Coolshade Fremont Improved Coolshade Lincoln Rosehill Willis