Plot's Elm
Encyclopedia
Ulmus minor var. plotii (Mill.) Richens, known as Plot's Elm, or Lock Elm, is found only in England
, where it is encountered mainly in the East Midlands
, notably around the River Witham
in Lincolnshire
and in the Trent Valley
around Newark on Trent. It has been described as Britain's rarest native elm
, and it is recorded by The Wildlife Trust as a nationally scarce species.
As with other members of the Field Elm group, the taxonomy of Plot's Elm is a matter of contention, several authorities recognizing it as a species in its own right. Indeed, it is as U. plotii that the specimens held by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew
and Wakehurst Place are listed. Richens, however, contended that it is simply one of the more distinctive clones of the polymorphous Ulmus minor, conjecturing that its incidence in the English Midlands may have been linked to its use as a distinctive marker along Drovers' roads.
Henry
mistook the tree as Goodyer's Elm Ulmus stricta (now U. minor subsp. angustifolia) var. goodyeri Melville. The trees Goodyer
described are confined to the Hampshire coast east of Lymington
, and very dissimilar in structure.
, this slender tree grew to a height of 30 m and was chiefly characterized by a crooked trunk curving near the summit, supporting a few short ascending branches to form a narrow, cocked crown; Richens likened its appearance to an ostrich feather. The obovate
– to elliptic
-acuminate
leaves are small, rarely > 4 cm in length, with comparatively few marginal teeth, usually < 70; the upper surfaces dull, with a scattering of minute tubercles and hairs. The samarae
rarely ripen, but when mature are narrowly obovate, < 13 mm in length, with a triangular open notch.
, U. minor var. plotii has also been affected by the destruction of hedgerows and by urban development within its limited range. Like other forms of the Field Elm
, however, it suckers freely and is thus not considered critically endangered. Conservation measures are now in place to preserve known stands and to encourage propagation. Owing to its susceptibility to Dutch elm disease, it is no longer planted as an ornamental. It is the subject of a study at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
by Dr Max Coleman titled 'The application of RAPD
s to the critical taxonomy of the English endemic elm Ulmus plotii (sic) Druce'. There are no known cultivar
s of this taxon, nor is it known to be in commerce.
in 1908-11, who found examples at Banbury
and Fineshade Abbey and who published descriptions and photographs. Druce named the tree for Dr Robert Plot
, a 17th century English naturalist. The synonym 'Lock Elm' is an allusion to the difficulty in working its timber. Bancroft referred to Plot's Elm as the East Anglian Elm, adding that it was often referred to as Wych Elm in the region; however, she was almost certainly alluding to the Smooth-leaved Elm
.
. Melville
noted that within the limits of the tree's distribution, hybrids are more common than Plot's elm itself.
group have been cultivated since at least 1677 and have given rise to a hybrid cultivar of that name and to the cultivars 'Aurea', 'Marginata', 'Pulverulenta'.
Europe
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...
, where it is encountered mainly in the East Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
, notably around the River Witham
River Witham
The River Witham is a river, almost entirely in the county of Lincolnshire, in the east of England. It rises south of Grantham close to South Witham, at SK8818, passes Lincoln at SK9771 and at Boston, TF3244, flows into The Haven, a tidal arm of The Wash, near RSPB Frampton Marsh...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
and in the Trent Valley
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
around Newark on Trent. It has been described as Britain's rarest native elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
, and it is recorded by The Wildlife Trust as a nationally scarce species.
As with other members of the Field Elm group, the taxonomy of Plot's Elm is a matter of contention, several authorities recognizing it as a species in its own right. Indeed, it is as U. plotii that the specimens held by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew
Kew
Kew is a place in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in South West London. Kew is best known for being the location of the Royal Botanic Gardens, now a World Heritage Site, which includes Kew Palace...
and Wakehurst Place are listed. Richens, however, contended that it is simply one of the more distinctive clones of the polymorphous Ulmus minor, conjecturing that its incidence in the English Midlands may have been linked to its use as a distinctive marker along Drovers' roads.
Henry
Augustine Henry
Augustine Henry was an Irish plantsman and sinologist. He is best known for sending over 15,000 dry specimens and seeds and 500 plant samples to Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom. By 1930, he was a recognised authority and was honoured with society membership in Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Finland,...
mistook the tree as Goodyer's Elm Ulmus stricta (now U. minor subsp. angustifolia) var. goodyeri Melville. The trees Goodyer
John Goodyer
John Goodyer was a 17th century botanist who lived in Hampshire, England. He was born in Alton, and evidently received a good education, although it is not known where...
described are confined to the Hampshire coast east of Lymington
Lymington
Lymington is a port on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It is to the east of the South East Dorset conurbation, and faces Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight which is connected to it by a car ferry, operated by Wightlink. The town...
, and very dissimilar in structure.
Description
'Plot's Elm' was a tree with a most distinctive habit. Before the advent of Dutch elm diseaseDutch 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...
, this slender tree grew to a height of 30 m and was chiefly characterized by a crooked trunk curving near the summit, supporting a few short ascending branches to form a narrow, cocked crown; Richens likened its appearance to an ostrich feather. The obovate
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
– to elliptic
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
-acuminate
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
leaves are small, rarely > 4 cm in length, with comparatively few marginal teeth, usually < 70; the upper surfaces dull, with a scattering of minute tubercles and hairs. The samarae
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...
rarely ripen, but when mature are narrowly obovate, < 13 mm in length, with a triangular open notch.
Cultivation
An uncommon tree even before Dutch elm diseaseDutch 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...
, U. minor var. plotii has also been affected by the destruction of hedgerows and by urban development within its limited range. Like other forms of the 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...
, however, it suckers freely and is thus not considered critically endangered. Conservation measures are now in place to preserve known stands and to encourage propagation. Owing to its susceptibility to Dutch elm disease, it is no longer planted as an ornamental. It is the subject of a study at the 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,...
by Dr Max Coleman titled 'The application of RAPD
RAPD
RAPD stands for random amplification of polymorphic DNA. It is a type of PCR reaction, but the segments of DNA that are amplified are random. The scientist performing RAPD creates several arbitrary, short primers , then proceeds with the PCR using a large template of genomic DNA, hoping that...
s to the critical taxonomy of the English endemic elm Ulmus plotii (sic) Druce'. There are no known cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s of this taxon, nor is it known to be in commerce.
Etymology
The tree was first recognised officially as a distinct form by the Oxford botanist George Claridge DruceGeorge Claridge Druce
George Claridge Druce, MA, LLD, JP, FRS, FLS was an English botanist and a Mayor of Oxford.G. Claridge Druce was born at Potterspury on Watling Street in Northamptonshire. He was the illegitimate son of Jane Druce, born 1815 in Buckinghamshire.He went to school in the village of Yardley Gobion....
in 1908-11, who found examples at Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
and Fineshade Abbey and who published descriptions and photographs. Druce named the tree for Dr Robert Plot
Robert Plot
Robert Plot was an English naturalist, first Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford, and the first keeper of the Ashmolean Museum....
, a 17th century English naturalist. The synonym 'Lock Elm' is an allusion to the difficulty in working its timber. Bancroft referred to Plot's Elm as the East Anglian Elm, adding that it was often referred to as Wych Elm in the region; however, she was almost certainly alluding to the Smooth-leaved Elm
Smooth-leaved Elm
Ulmus minor subsp. minor Richens, the Smooth-leaved Elm, yclept Narrow-leafed Elm and East Anglian Elm, is a subspecies of the Field Elm native to southern Europe and Asia Minor including Iran.-Description:...
.
Hybrids
Plot's elm hybridises in the wild both with wych elm, to form U. × hollandica 'Elegantissima', and with U. minor subsp. minor, to form Ulmus × viminalisUlmus × viminalis
Ulmus × viminalis Lodd. is an elm hybrid derived from the crossing U. minor subsp. minor Richens × U. minor var. plotii Druce . W. J. Bean says that the cultivar, which he calls U. 'Viminalis', is one form of a natural hybrid, U. × viminalis, that occurs from Essex to Oxfordshire...
. Melville
Ronald Melville
Ronald Melville was an English botanist, based at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. He is chiefly remembered for his wartime research into rosehips as a source of vitamin C, prompted by the epidemic of scurvy amongst children owing to the reduced importation of fresh fruit...
noted that within the limits of the tree's distribution, hybrids are more common than Plot's elm itself.
Hybrid cultivars
The dwarf elm cultivar 'Jacqueline Hillier' is thought to belong to the 'Elegantissima' group. Elms of the Ulmus × viminalisUlmus × viminalis
Ulmus × viminalis Lodd. is an elm hybrid derived from the crossing U. minor subsp. minor Richens × U. minor var. plotii Druce . W. J. Bean says that the cultivar, which he calls U. 'Viminalis', is one form of a natural hybrid, U. × viminalis, that occurs from Essex to Oxfordshire...
group have been cultivated since at least 1677 and have given rise to a hybrid cultivar of that name and to the cultivars 'Aurea', 'Marginata', 'Pulverulenta'.
Accessions
North America- Bartlett tree nurseries. Acc. nos. 7771, 00–108, as U. plotii, provenances not disclosed.
Europe
- Brighton & HoveBrighton & HoveBrighton 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=c1254274. No details available. - Cambridge Botanic Garden http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/, University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, UK. As U. coritana var. angustifolia, no accession details available. - Romney Gardens, CumbriaCumbriaCumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, UK. UK champion 28 m high, 87 cm d.b.h. (1996). - Wakehurst Place GardenWakehurst Place GardenWakehurst Place is National Trust property located near Ardingly, West Sussex in the High Weald of southern England , comprising a late 16th century country house and a mainly 20th century garden, managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew...
, Wakehurst Place, UK, as U. plotii. Acc. no. 1912-59402, donated by Augustine Henry, acc. nos. 1975–6181, 1975–6195, 1977–6692, all collected by MelvilleRonald MelvilleRonald Melville was an English botanist, based at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. He is chiefly remembered for his wartime research into rosehips as a source of vitamin C, prompted by the epidemic of scurvy amongst children owing to the reduced importation of fresh fruit...
. - Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, UK, as U. plotii, acc. no. 1969-16753, (planted 1958), donated by MelvilleRonald MelvilleRonald Melville was an English botanist, based at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. He is chiefly remembered for his wartime research into rosehips as a source of vitamin C, prompted by the epidemic of scurvy amongst children owing to the reduced importation of fresh fruit...
.
External links
- http://www.ipgri.cgiar.org/Networks/euforgen/Networks/Scattered_Broadleaves/NHStrategies/UlmusSppConsStrategy.htm.
- Ulmus minor var. plotii Action Plan, The Wildlife Trust
- Ulmus minor var. plotii, The Flora of Derbyshire, Derby City Council