Ulmus rubra
Encyclopedia
Ulmus rubra, the Slippery Elm, is a species
of elm
native to eastern North America
(from southeast North Dakota
, east to Maine
and southern Quebec
, south to northernmost Florida
, and west to eastern Texas
). Other common names include Red Elm, Gray Elm, Soft Elm, Moose Elm, and Indian Elm.
botanist Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg
's 1793 name Ulmus rubra now accepted as the first formally published. The slightly later name U. fulva, published by French
botanist André Michaux
in 1803, is used in much of the older literature, and is still widely used in dietary-supplement
and alternative-medicine
information.
The slippery elm has almost universally been treated taxonomically as a distinct species without named subspecies or varieties. However, it was sometimes considered a variety of the American Elm, Ulmus americana var. rubra, in the late 18th century. The species is similar to American Elm (U. americana) in general appearance, but more closely related to the Europe
an Wych Elm (U. glabra), which has a very similar flower structure.
tree
which can grow to 65 feet (20 m) in height with a 20-inch (50 cm) d.b.h. trunk. The tree's more upright branching pattern differs from the deliquescent branching of the American elm. Its heartwood
is reddish-brown, giving the tree its alternative common name 'Red Elm'. The leaves
are 4-6 in (10–18 cm) long and have a rough texture (especially above), coarsely double-serrate margins, acuminate apices and oblique bases. The perfect, apetalous, wind-pollinated flowers are produced before the leaves in early spring, usually in clusters of 10–20. The fruit
is an oval winged samara
about 3/4 in (20 mm) long that containing a single, central seed
. Slippery elm may be distinguished from American elm by the hairiness of its buds and twigs (both smooth on the American elm) and by its very short-stalked flowers.
than other species of American elms, but is severely damaged by the Elm Leaf Beetle (Xanthogaleruca luteola)
.
, 'Rosehill'
, and probably 'Willis'
. In later years, it was also used in the Wisconsin program to produce 'Repura' and 'Revera' although neither is known to have been released to commerce.
inner bark.
Europe
Australasia
The mucilagenous
inner bark
of the slippery elm has long been used as a demulcent
, and is still produced commercially for this purpose in the United States with approval for sale as a nutritional supplement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.A tea brewed from the inner bark helps ease a sore throat and irritated stomach – in addition to other mucous membranes.
Sometimes slippery elm leaves are dried and ground into a powder
, then made into a tea
. Both slippery elm gruel and tea are said to soothe the digestive tract.
Whole bark of slippery elm was used as an abortifacient
, but not without serious consequences, such as death of the mother.
The tree's fibrous inner bark produces a strong and durable fiber that can be spun into thread, twine, or rope useful for bow strings
, ropes, jewellery, clothing, snowshoe
bindings, woven mats, and even some musical instruments.
Once cured, the wood is also excellent for starting fires
with the bow-drill method, as it grinds into a very fine flammable powder under friction.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of 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...
native to eastern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
(from southeast North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, east to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and southern Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, south to northernmost Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and west to eastern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
). Other common names include Red Elm, Gray Elm, Soft Elm, Moose Elm, and Indian Elm.
Classification
This widespread, common North American forest tree species was named several times, with PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
botanist Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg
Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg
Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg was an American clergyman and botanist.-Biography:The son of Heinrich Melchior Muhlenberg, he was born in Trappe, Pennsylvania. He was educated at in Halle starting in 1763 and in 1769 at the University of Halle. He returned to Pennsylvania in September 1770...
's 1793 name Ulmus rubra now accepted as the first formally published. The slightly later name U. fulva, published by French
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...
botanist André Michaux
André Michaux
André Michaux was a French botanist and explorer.-Biography:Michaux was born in Satory, now part of Versailles, Yvelines. After the death of his wife within a year of their marriage he took up the study of botany and was a student of Bernard de Jussieu...
in 1803, is used in much of the older literature, and is still widely used in dietary-supplement
Dietary supplement
A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to supplement the diet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantities in a person's diet...
and alternative-medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
information.
The slippery elm has almost universally been treated taxonomically as a distinct species without named subspecies or varieties. However, it was sometimes considered a variety of the American Elm, Ulmus americana var. rubra, in the late 18th century. The species is similar to American Elm (U. americana) in general appearance, but more closely related to the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an Wych Elm (U. glabra), which has a very similar flower structure.
Description
Ulmus rubra, the Slippery Elm, is a deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
which can grow to 65 feet (20 m) in height with a 20-inch (50 cm) d.b.h. trunk. The tree's more upright branching pattern differs from the deliquescent branching of the American elm. Its heartwood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
is reddish-brown, giving the tree its alternative common name 'Red Elm'. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are 4-6 in (10–18 cm) long and have a rough texture (especially above), coarsely double-serrate margins, acuminate apices and oblique bases. The perfect, apetalous, wind-pollinated flowers are produced before the leaves in early spring, usually in clusters of 10–20. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is an oval winged 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...
about 3/4 in (20 mm) long that containing a single, central seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
. Slippery elm may be distinguished from American elm by the hairiness of its buds and twigs (both smooth on the American elm) and by its very short-stalked flowers.
Pests and diseases
The tree is reputedly less susceptible to 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...
than other species of American elms, but is severely damaged by the Elm Leaf Beetle (Xanthogaleruca luteola)
Xanthogaleruca luteola
Xanthogaleruca luteola, commonly known as the Elm Leaf Beetle, is a serious pest of the elm. Indigenous to Europe, it was accidentally introduced to North America. Both the imagines and larvae feed on the emergent leaves of the elm...
.
Ecology
Slippery Elm thrives in moisture-rich uplands, but it will also grow in dry, intermediate soils. In the central United States, native Ulmus rubra hybridizes in the wild with the Siberian elm (U. pumila).Hybrid cultivars
U. rubra had limited success as a hybrid parent in the 1960s, resulting in the cultivars 'Coolshade', 'Lincoln'Ulmus 'Lincoln'
The American hybrid cultivar Ulmus Lincoln was selected from crossings of the Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila and the Slippery, or Red, Elm Ulmus rubra made in Illinois circa 1958 and patented in 1983.-Description:...
, 'Rosehill'
Ulmus 'Rosehill'
The hybrid cultivar Rosehill was originally raised by the Rose Hill Nurseries of Kansas City, Missouri, from a selection of Ulmus pumila × Ulmus rubra seedlings made in 1951.-Description:...
, and probably 'Willis'
Ulmus 'Willis'
The hybrid cultivar Willis originated as a selection made by a Mr Minnick of Kansas simply as a hybrid. Almost certainly derived from a crossing of the Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila and the Red Elm Ulmus rubra, it was originally believed that the American parent was the American Elm Ulmus americana,...
. In later years, it was also used in the Wisconsin program to produce 'Repura' and 'Revera' although neither is known to have been released to commerce.
Etymology
The epithet rubra (red) alludes to the tree's reddish wood, whilst the common name "Slippery Elm" alludes to the mucilagenousMucilage
Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance produced by most plants and some microorganisms. It is a polar glycoprotein and an exopolysaccharide.It occurs in various parts of nearly all classes of plant, usually in relatively small percentages, and is frequently associated with other substances, such as...
inner bark.
Accessions
North America- Arnold Arboretum. Acc. nos. 737-88, 738-88, both of unrecorded provenance.
- Bernheim Arboretum and Research ForestBernheim Arboretum and Research ForestBernheim Arboretum and Research Forest is a 14,000 acre arboretum, forest, and nature preserve located in Clermont, Kentucky ....
http://www.bernheim.org/species_lists.htm, ClermontClermont, KentuckyClermont is a USGS-designated populated place in Bullitt County, Kentucky, United States, south of Louisville.-History:The area was officially recognized by the USGS on September 20, 1979, during the rapid expansion of Shepherdsville due to the development of Interstate 65. A large portion of...
, KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. No details available. - Brenton ArboretumBrenton ArboretumThe Brenton Arboretum 121 acres is a new arboretum and botanical garden in early stages of development, located at 2629 Palo Circle, Dallas Center, Iowa, USA. The Arboretum aims to display all Iowa native trees and shrubs suitable to the site, as well as many other tree species which can grow in...
, Dallas Center, IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. No details available. - Chicago Botanic GardenChicago Botanic GardenLocated at 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois, USA, the Chicago Botanic Garden is a living plant museum situated on nine islands featuring 24 display gardens and surrounded by four natural habitats: McDonald Woods, Dixon Prairie, Skokie River Corridor, and Lakes and Shores. The Garden is open...
, GlencoeGlencoe, IllinoisGlencoe is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 8,723. Glencoe is located on suburban Chicago's North Shore. Glencoe is located within the New Trier High School District. Glencoe is regarded as one of the most affluent suburbs on...
, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. 1 tree, no other details available. - Dominion ArboretumDominion ArboretumThe Dominion Arboretum is located at the Central Experimental Farm of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.Originally begun in 1889 the Arboretum covers about 26 ha of rolling land between Prince of Wales Drive, Dow's Lake and the Rideau Canal. Carleton University is located...
, OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. No acc. details available. - Longwood GardensLongwood GardensLongwood Gardens consists of over 1,077 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, United States in the Brandywine Creek Valley...
. Acc. no. L-3002, of unrecorded provenance. - Nebraska Statewide ArboretumNebraska Statewide ArboretumThe Nebraska Statewide Arboretum is an arboretum and botanical garden composed of 44 arboretums, parks, and other public landscapes in 33 communities across Nebraska, and supported by the arboretum office at the University of Nebraska campus in Lincoln, Nebraska...
. No details available. - Smith CollegeSmith CollegeSmith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
. Acc. no. 8119PA. - U S National ArboretumUnited States National ArboretumThe 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...
http://www.usna.usda.gov/index.htm, 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....
, USA. Acc. no. 77501.
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, NCCPG elm collection http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1254274. UK champion: Hove Recreation Ground, 18 m high, 65 cm d.b.h. in 2002. - Grange Farm ArboretumGrange Farm ArboretumThe Grange Farm Arboretum is a small private arboretum comprising 3 hectares accommodating over 800 trees, mostly native and ornamental species or cultivars, notably oaks, ashes, walnuts and elms, growing on a calcareous loam....
, Sutton St JamesSutton St JamesSutton St James is a village and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England, about south west of Long Sutton.Lying in the Lincolnshire Fens, Sutton St James did not exist at the time of Domesday Book of 1086...
, SpaldingSpalding, LincolnshireSpalding is a market town with a population of 30,000 on the River Welland in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. Little London is a hamlet directly south of Spalding on the B1172 road....
, LincolnshireLincolnshireLincolnshire 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...
, UK. Acc. no. 522 - Hortus Botanicus Nationalis, SalaspilsSalaspilsSalaspils is a town in Latvia, the administrative centre of Salaspils municipality. The town is situated on the northern bank of the Daugava River 18 kilometers to the south-east of the city of Riga.-History:...
, LatviaLatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. Acc. nos. 18168, 18169, 18170. - Linnaean Gardens of UppsalaLinnaean GardenThe Linnaean Garden or Linnaeus' Garden is the oldest of the botanical gardens belonging to Uppsala University in Sweden. It has been restored and is kept as an 18th century botanical garden, according to the specifications of Carolus Linnaeus.The garden was originally planned and planted by Olaus...
, SwedenSwedenSweden , 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....
. As U. fulva. Acc. no. 1955-1052. - Royal Botanic Garden Wakehurst Place. Acc. no. 1973-21050.
- ThenfordThenfordThenford is a village and civil parish about northwest of the market town of Brackley in South Northamptonshire and east of Banbury in nearby Oxfordshire.Thenford's toponym is derived from the Old English for "Ford of the Thegns"....
House arboretum, Northamptonshire, UK. No details available. - University of CopenhagenUniversity of CopenhagenThe University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
Botanic Garden. No details available.
Australasia
- Eastwoodhill ArboretumEastwoodhill ArboretumEastwoodhill is the national arboretum of New Zealand. It covers and is located 35 km northwest of Gisborne, in the hill country of Ngatapa. It was founded in 1910 by William Douglas Cook...
http://www.eastwoodhill.org.nz/gardens--collection/collection.aspx?Type=&G=Ulmus, GisborneGisborne, New Zealand-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...
, New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. 1 tree, no details available.
North America
- Sun Valley Garden Centre http://www.qscaping.com/NetPS-Engine.asp?CCID=20000011&page=results&Keyword=ulmus&Category=&Type=&Spread=Any&SpreadDim=feet&Growth=&Hardiness=7&Height=Any&HeightDim=feet&Canopy=&Application=&Texture=&Wildlife=&Form=&Density=&FlowerColor=&FlowerColorJS=&FoliageColor=&FoliageColorJS=&FallColor=&FallColorJS=&FruitPeriod=&BarkColor=&BarkColorJS=&FlowerPeriod=&Variegation=&VariegationJS=&FruitColor=&FruitColorJS=&Edible=&BarkTexture=&SunShade=&Moisture=&Pollution=&SoilType=&pH=&Submit=Search],Eden Prairie, MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
Europe
- Arboretum Waasland http://www.arboretum-waasland.be/English.htm, Nieuwkerken-Waas, BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. - Arne Herbs Arne Herbs, UK, UK
- Grange Farm Plants, SpaldingSpalding, LincolnshireSpalding is a market town with a population of 30,000 on the River Welland in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. Little London is a hamlet directly south of Spalding on the B1172 road....
, Lincs.LincolnshireLincolnshire 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...
, UK. - Salley Gardens Salley Gardens, UK, UK
Seed suppliers
- B and T World Seeds, Paguignan, 34210 Aigues-Vives, France
- Sheffield's Seeds Co. Inc. http://www.sheffields.com/SEEDS, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA.
Medicinal
Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) has had various traditional medicinal uses.The mucilagenous
Mucilage
Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance produced by most plants and some microorganisms. It is a polar glycoprotein and an exopolysaccharide.It occurs in various parts of nearly all classes of plant, usually in relatively small percentages, and is frequently associated with other substances, such as...
inner bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
of the slippery elm has long been used as a demulcent
Demulcent
A demulcent is an agent that forms a soothing film over a mucous membrane, relieving minor pain and inflammation of the membrane. Demulcents are sometimes referred to as mucoprotective agents. Demulcents such as pectin, glycerin, honey, and syrup are common ingredients in cough mixtures...
, and is still produced commercially for this purpose in the United States with approval for sale as a nutritional supplement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.A tea brewed from the inner bark helps ease a sore throat and irritated stomach – in addition to other mucous membranes.
Sometimes slippery elm leaves are dried and ground into a powder
Powder (substance)
A powder is a dry,thick bulk solid composed of a large number of very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms powder and granular are sometimes used to distinguish separate classes of material...
, then made into a tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
. Both slippery elm gruel and tea are said to soothe the digestive tract.
Whole bark of slippery elm was used as an abortifacient
Abortifacient
An abortifacient is a substance that induces abortion. Abortifacients for animals that have mated undesirably are known as mismating shots....
, but not without serious consequences, such as death of the mother.
Other uses
The wood of the slippery elm is used for the hubs of wagon wheels, as it is very shock resistant owing to the interlocking grain.The tree's fibrous inner bark produces a strong and durable fiber that can be spun into thread, twine, or rope useful for bow strings
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
, ropes, jewellery, clothing, snowshoe
Snowshoe
A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....
bindings, woven mats, and even some musical instruments.
Once cured, the wood is also excellent for starting fires
Making fire
Fire was an essential tool in early human cultural development and still important today. Many different techniques for making fire exist...
with the bow-drill method, as it grinds into a very fine flammable powder under friction.