''Ulmus minor'' var. ''italica'' was first described by

Augustine Henry Augustine Henry (2 July 1857 – 23 March 1930) was a British-born 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 rec ...

in 1913, as a 'variety' of

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 and Iran; its northern ...

from Italy, Spain, Portugal and Algeria. He called it ''Ulmus nitens'' var. ''italica'', 'Mediterranean Elm'.

Elwes Elwes () is an English surname whose spelling over the years has included Helwish, Helewise, Helwys, Elwaiss, Elwaies and Elway. It may refer to: * Columba Cary-Elwes (1903–1994), English Benedictine monk * Elwes baronets, 1660–1787 * Eva Elwes ...

and Henry did not, however, include the field elms of Greece or Asia Minor in their research, so it is not known whether their 'Mediterranean elm' extends further east. The variety was accepted by Krüssman (1984), despite the wide source-area claimed for it, as a non-clonal cultivar, ''U. carpinifolia'' var. ''italica'' Henry.

Bean A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes th ...

(1988), however, considered it "a variety of rather dubious standing", and it was ignored by Richens (1983), who listed instead a "small-leaved ''U. minor'' of Spain" and a "narrow-leaved ''U. minor'' of northern and central Italy", as well as "the densely hairy leaved ''U. minor'' of southern Italy", the latter being ''Ulmus minor'' subsp. ''canescens'', formerly Melville's ''

Ulmus canescens ''Ulmus minor'' subsp. ''canescens'' is a small deciduous tree occasionally known by the common names grey elm, grey-leafed elm, and hoary elm. Its natural range extends through the lands of the central and eastern Mediterranean, from southern It ...

''.

Description

Henry described var. ''italica'' as a smooth-leaved field elm growing to 80 feet, distinguished by its 14 to 18 pairs of leaf-veins, an unusually high number for this species. Several Italian field elm authorities offering diagnostic leaf-photographs of local ''olmo campestre'' show leaves with 14 to 18 vein-pairs. Henry's description also mentions leathery leaves, conspicuous axil-tufts, and a quarter-inch (about 1 cm) petiole. File:Olmo campestre monumentale di via Ronchi (Villamarzana) 07.jpg, Specimen of var. ''italica'', Via Ronchi,

Villamarzana Villamarzana is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rovigo in the Italian region Veneto, located about southwest of Venice and about southwest of Rovigo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,176 and an area of .All demograp ...

Veneto Veneto (, ; vec, Vèneto ) or Venetia is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about five million, ranking fourth in Italy. The region's capital is Venice while the biggest city is Verona. Veneto was part of the Roman Empire unt ...

, Italy (2020) File:Olmo campestre monumentale di via Ronchi (Villamarzana) 03.jpg, Branching of var. ''italica'' Olmo campestre monumentale di via Ronchi (Villamarzana) 08.jpg, Bole of var. ''italica'' Olmo campestre monumentale di via Ronchi (Villamarzana) 04.jpg, Bark of var. ''italica'' File:Olmo campestre monumentale di via Ronchi (Villamarzana) 09.jpg, Foliage of var. ''italica'', with leaves matching Henry's 1913 description and drawing

Pests and diseases

Italian field elm is susceptible to

Dutch elm disease Dutch elm disease (DED) is caused by a member of the sac fungi (Ascomycota) affecting elm trees, and is spread by elm bark beetles. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease was accidentally introduced into Americas, America ...

and

Elm leaf beetle ''Xanthogaleruca luteola'', commonly known as the elm-leaf beetle, is a beetle species in the family Chrysomelidae that is native to Europe but invasive in other parts of the world.http://cisr.ucr.edu/elm_leaf_beetle.html - Center for Invasive S ...

''Xanthogalerucella luteola'' Müll.Mittempergher, L., 'Dutch elm disease in Italy', in ''Research on Dutch Elm Disease in Europe'', ed. D. A. Burdekin (London, 1983), p.105-6

Cultivation

Field elm has been described as "a well adapted and appreciated species" in Italy. Henry gave examples of cultivation of var. ''italica'' both there and in the wider source-area claimed for it. Of plantings outside the source-area, he mentioned a specimen sent to

Kew Gardens Kew Gardens is a botanical garden, botanic garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botany, botanical and mycology, mycological collections in the world". Founded in 1840, from the exotic garden at Kew Park, its li ...

, while Krüssman (1984) included a photograph of var. ''italica'' Henry planted in Gisselfeld Park, Denmark.Krüssman, Gerd, ''Manual of Cultivated Broad-Leaved Trees & Shrubs'' (1984 vol. 3), pl.144 The variety was propagated and marketed by the Hillier & Sons nursery,

Winchester, Hampshire Winchester is a cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, at the western end of the South Downs National Park, on the River Itchen. It is south-west of Londo ...

, in the mid-20th century.Hillier & Sons (1977). ''Catalogue of Trees & Shrubs''. Hillier, Ampfield, UK.Hillier & Sons ''Sales inventory 1962 to 1977'' (unpublished). E. E. Kemp, curator of

Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is a scientific centre for the study of plants, their diversity and conservation, as well as a popular tourist attraction. Founded in 1670 as a physic garden to grow medicinal plants, today it occupies ...

, noted (1979) that in the Netherlands, "where much nursery stock of smooth-leaved elm is raised, about 75% of the seed is obtained from Italian suppliers". File:Gabinio.L'olmo Di Albugnano. Albugnano, Escursionisti Presso Un Grande Olmo 10A95.jpg, L'olmo di

Albugnano Albugnano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about east of Turin and about northwest of Asti. Albugnano borders the following municipalities: Aramengo, Berzano di San Pietro, Castelnuo ...

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

, c.1900

Notable trees

Henry described a number of notable old specimens "of this variety", including one at the Villa Paveri-Fontana,

Collecchio Collecchio (Parmigiano: ) is a town in the province of Parma, Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. It is located by road southwest of the centre of Parma. A major food-producing area, it is home to multinational Italian dairy and food corporation Parm ...

, Parma, with a bole 20 feet in girth. A centuries-old field elm, 5.5 metres in girth and possibly an example of Henry's var. ''italica'', survives (2009) in the town of

Mergozzo Mergozzo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about northwest of Verbania. Mergozzo borders the following municipalities: Gravellona Toce, ...

. File:Villa marchese Paveri Fontana.jpg, Villa Paveri-Fontana,

, in Henry's day File:Olmo di Mergozzo.JPG, L'Olmo di Mergozzo, Piedmont, present in 1600 File:Olmo di Mergozzo in autunno.jpg, Same, 2019 File:Olmo di Mergozzo, dettaglio del tronco.jpg, Trunk detail of same Olmo di Gorgo Dolfin (Pincara) 16.jpg, L'olmo di

Pincara Pincara is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rovigo in the Italian region Veneto, located about southwest of Venice and about southwest of Rovigo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,298 and an area of .All demographics ...

information board Olmo di Gorgo Dolfin (Pincara) 18.jpg, L'olmo di

, Veneto, c.200 years old, bole circumference 5 m Olmo di Gorgo Dolfin (Pincara) 03.jpg, L'olmo di

, bole Olmo di Gorgo Dolfin (Pincara) 05.jpg, L'olmo di

, bark Olmo di Gorgo Dolfin (Pincara) 12.jpg, L'olmo di

, September foliage

Notes

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q48851276 Elm species and varieties Ulmus articles with images minor var. italica