Lutèce (elm hybrid)
Encyclopedia
One of the last Dutch hybrid cultivars to be released, 'Nanguen' (LUTÈCE) is a complex fourth generation tree with an ancestry comprising four Field Elm
Field Elm
Ulmus minor Mill., the Field Elm, is by far the most polymorphic of the European species, although its taxonomy remains a matter of contention. Its natural range is predominantly south European, extending to Asia Minor; its northern outposts are the Baltic islands of Öland and Gotland, although it...

s U. minor, three Wych Elm
Wych Elm
Ulmus glabra, the Wych elm or Scots elm, has the widest range of the European elm species, from Ireland eastwards to the Urals, and from the Arctic Circle south to the mountains of the Peloponnese in Greece; it is also found in Iran...

s U. glabra including the curious Exeter Elm, var. 'Exoniensis', and a frost-resistant selection of the Himalayan Elm
Himalayan Elm
The Himalayan Elm Ulmus wallichiana Planch., also known as the Kashmir Elm, is a mountain tree ranging from central Nuristan in Afghanistan, through northern Pakistan and northern India to western Nepal at elevations from 800 m to 3000 m...

 U. wallichiana.

Originally identified simply as clone 812, LUTÈCE was not promoted by the Dutch owing to unfounded fears that it may prove susceptible to Coral Spot fungus Nectria cinnabarina
Nectria cinnabarina
Nectria cinnabarina is a plant pathogen that causes cankers on many tree species and also a disease known as coral spot.- External links :* *...

. Instead, '812' was acquired by the French Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique
The Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique is a French public research institute dedicated to scientific studies surrounding the problems of agriculture...

 (INRA), which subjected the tree to 20 years of field trials in the Bois de Vincennes
Bois de Vincennes
The Bois de Vincennes is a park in the English landscape manner to the east of Paris. The park is named after the nearby town of Vincennes....

, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, before patenting and release in 2002 as 'Nanguen' (selling name: LUTÈCE).

Description

The stem of LUTÈCE typically forks at a height of between 1 m and 2 m, where 3 to 5 steeply ascending branches develop in conjunction with more obtusely angled lower side branches to form an amorphous open crown. Not yet 30 years old (2009), the ultimate size and shape of this cultivar remain unknown but, given its ancestry, it should reach at least 30 m in height.

The trees planted in the Bois de Vincennes attained an average height of 12.5 m with a trunk diameter of 22 cm at 20 years of age. .
Quick growing on moist, well-drained soils, increasing in height by an average of 80 cm per annum, the tree commences flowering in late March when aged seven years.

LUTÈCE is most reliably identified by the shape and colour of its leaves; almost orbicular < 11 cm long × 10 cm wide, the acuminate apex far less pronounced than in most other elms, and bright grass-green in colour, with a rough upper surface. The leaves flush relatively late, rarely before May in England. The samara
Samara (fruit)
A samara is a type of fruit in which a flattened wing of fibrous, papery tissue develops from the ovary wall. A samara is a simple dry fruit and indehiscent . It is a winged achene...

e are obovate, slightly notched at the outer end, 14 - 22 mm long by 11 - 17 mm broad. The seed is not central but slightly nearer the notch, and ripens in late May. .

Pests and diseases

LUTÈCE exhibited a very high resistance to Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease is a disease caused by a member of the sac fungi category, affecting elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native...

 when inoculated with unnaturally high doses of the causal fungus
Fungus
A fungus is a member of a large group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds , as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, Fungi, which is separate from plants, animals, and bacteria...

 Ophiostoma novo-ulmi, and was rated 5 out of 5 in Dutch tests . Tests in France by INRA confirmed the tree has 'highly resistant' . Pinon, J., Lohou, C. & Cadic, A. (1998). Hybrid Elms (Ulmus Spp.): Adaptability in Paris and behaviour towards Dutch elm disease (Ophiostoma novo-ulmi). Acta Horticulturae 496, 107-114, 1998.

The leaves are susceptible to Black Spot however .

Cultivation

The cultivar is now being widely planted in cities, notably Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, and rural areas of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. In trials in southern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, the tree has proven very hardy, tolerant of sea winds, summer droughts, and ground waterlogged during winter. However, some trees proved susceptible to wind-rock and have required staking for up to six years. LUTÈCE is cold hardy, and has survived winter temperatures as low as - 30° C
Celsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...

 at Julita in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

.

Over 4000 LUTÈCE have been planted on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...

 by the Island 2000 Trust, and in lower concentrations on the mainland, mostly by members of Butterfly Conservation
Butterfly Conservation
Butterfly Conservation is an insect conservation organisation in the United Kingdom. It is one of the largest insect conservation organisations in the world.-History of the Organisation:...

in the hope the tree will host the White-letter Hairstreak
White-letter Hairstreak
The White-letter Hairstreak is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.-Appearance, behaviour and distribution:A dark little butterfly that spends the majority of its life in the tree tops, feeding on honeydew, making it best observed through binoculars. The uppersides are a dark brown with a small...

 butterfly Satyrium w-album, a monophagic species that remains in serious decline as a consequence of Dutch elm disease.

LUTÈCE has been introduced to North America, with the arrival of two small specimens at the National Arboretum
United States National Arboretum
The United States National Arboretum is an arboretum in Washington, D.C., operated by the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service as a division of the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center...

, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 in November, 2010; it is not known to have been introduced to Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...

.

Etymology

Lutèce is the French derivation of Lutetia
Lutetia
Lutetia was a town in pre-Roman and Roman Gaul. The Gallo-Roman city was a forerunner of the re-established Merovingian town that is the ancestor of present-day Paris...

, the ancient Roman name for the settlement which later became Paris.

Europe

  • Brighton & Hove
    Brighton & Hove
    Brighton and Hove is a unitary authority area and city on the south coast of England. It is England's most populous seaside resort.In 1997 Brighton and Hove were joined to form the unitary authority of Brighton and Hove, which was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II as part of the millennium...

     City Council, UK, NCCPG Elm Collection http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1108042. Stanmer Nursery.
  • Great Fontley Farm, Fareham
    Fareham
    The market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly in the centre of the South Hampshire conurbation.It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area...

    , UK, Butterfly Conservation
    Butterfly Conservation
    Butterfly Conservation is an insect conservation organisation in the United Kingdom. It is one of the largest insect conservation organisations in the world.-History of the Organisation:...

    Elm Trials plantation, Home Field B2, C2, J7, J9, Platts O10, (planted 2002).
  • Longstock Park
    Longstock Park
    Longstock Park is a country estate in the civil parish of Longstock in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. Formerly Longstock Manor, of medieval origins, it was purchased by Sir Joshua East in the nineteenth century. On his death, the estate passed to his sons Alfred and Arthur. In...

     http://www.longstocknursery.co.uk/ Arboretum, Longstock
    Longstock
    Longstock is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England. It lies on the western bank of the River Test, to the north and west of Stockbridge and east of Leckford. The parish has a population of around 450...

    , Stockbridge
    Stockbridge
    -Places:In the United States* Stockbridge, Georgia* Stockbridge, Massachusetts* Stockbridge, Michigan* Stockbridge Township, Michigan* Stockbridge, New York* Stockbridge, Vermont* Stockbridge, Wisconsin* Stockbridge , WisconsinIn the United Kingdom...

    , UK. One juvenile specimen planted 2010.
  • Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
    Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
    The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a scientific centre for the study of plants, their diversity and conservation, as well as a popular tourist attraction. Originally founded in 1670 as a physic garden to grow medicinal plants, today it occupies four sites across Scotland — Edinburgh,...

    , UK. Acc. no. 20042084
  • Sir Harold Hillier Gardens
    Sir Harold Hillier Gardens
    The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens is an arboretum comprising 72 hectares accommodating over 42,000 trees and shrubs in about 12,000 taxa, notably a collection of oaks, camellia, magnolia and rhododendron....

    , UK. Acc. no. 2004.0515

North America

  • National Arboretum
    United States National Arboretum
    The United States National Arboretum is an arboretum in Washington, D.C., operated by the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service as a division of the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center...

    , Washington, D.C.
    Washington, D.C.
    Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

    . 2 small trees, in quarantine until May 2011.

Nurseries

Europe
  • Adrian Ayley http://www.adrianayley.com, Southminster
    Southminster
    Southminster is a town on the Dengie peninsula in the Maldon district of Essex in the East of England. It lies about three miles north of Burnham-on-Crouch and ten miles south-east of Maldon. To the north is the River Blackwater, which is tidal and since Roman times has been the gateway to trading...

    , Essex
    Essex
    Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

    , UK. 15 and 30 litre potted standards.
  • F P Matthews 'Trees for Life', Tenbury Wells
    Tenbury Wells
    Tenbury Wells is a market town and civil parish in the north-western extremity of the Malvern Hills District administrative area of Worcestershire, England. The 2001 census reported a population of 3,316.-Geography:...

    , Worcestershire
    Worcestershire
    Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...

    , UK. 7-litre pot trees available from retail outlets, see http://www.frankpmatthews.com/map.aspx
  • Hilliers Nurseries http://www.hilliertrees.co.uk/, Ampfield
    Ampfield
    Ampfield is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Test Valley in Hampshire, England, between Romsey, Eastleigh, and Winchester. It had a population at the 2001 census of 1,474....

    , UK. Standards only.
  • Les Pépiniéres Minier http://pepinieres-minier.fr/~minier/index.php (UK: gbsales@minier-nurseries.fr), Beaufort-en-Vallée
    Beaufort-en-Vallée
    Beaufort-en-Vallée is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France....

    , France
    France
    The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

    . Bare-rooted whips, minimum export value: €500.

Pictures

Photographs of the Isle of Wight's Island 2000 Trust planting Lutece elms can be seen at the Flickr website here at http://www.flickr.com/photos/island2000conservation/704726168/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/island2000conservation/704726190/.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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