Ulmus L.
Deciduous trees, usually suckering. Bark fissured. Lvs alternate, ± asymmetric at base, serrate. Fls ⚥, protandrous, usually appearing before the lvs. Perianth usually 4-5-merous. Anthers reddish; ovule 1-locular. Fr. a samara, winged all round but the wing emarginate at apex. Endosperm 0.
c. 45 spp., N. temperate regions. Naturalised, 1 hybrid.
There are several local Ulmus variants in W. Europe, the status and delimitation of which is in dispute; also natural hybrids are of widespread occurrence making this a taxonomically difficult genus. Extensive cultivation of many spp., grafted plants, and of hybrids of uncertain origin makes evaluation of naturalised material in N.Z. more difficult. With the exception of U. parvifolia Jacq., Chinese elm, all the common elms in N.Z. are from Europe. Adult lvs, rather than lvs of the suckering shoots, are needed for identification.
