The Wych Elm cultivar ''Ulmus glabra'' 'Concavaefolia' (Fontaine, 1968), a form with up-curling leaves, was listed in Beissner's ''Handbuch der Laubholz-Benennung'' (1903) as ''Ulmus montana cucullata'' Hort. 'hooded', the leaf a synonym of the ''Ulmus scabra'' Mill. ''glabra'' Huds.var. ''concavaefolia'' of herbarium specimens.naturalis.nl, specimen WAG.1853027
/ref> An ''Ulmus campestris cucullata'', of uncertain species, had appeared in Loddiges' 1823 list, but Loudon's brief description (1838) of concave- and hooded-leaved elms was insufficient for later botanists to distinguish them. The earliest unambiguous description appears to be that of Petzold and Kirchner in ''Arboretum Muscaviense'' (1864).Petzold and Kirchner in ''Arboretum Muscaviense'' (Gotha, 1864), p.557
/ref> Not to be confused with the

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 ...

cultivar 'Webbiana', which also has longitudinally-folded, up-curling leaves (though smaller, shallower-toothed, and with longer petiole), or with concave-leaved field elms with ''down''-curling leaves (see ''U. minor'' 'Concavaefolia' and ''U. minor'' 'Cucullata').

Description

Petzold and Kirchner in ''Arboretum Muscaviense'' (1864) described the leaves of their ''Ulmus campestris cucullata'' as rough, up-curving, and bicorne-shaped, being longer and more "closed" than those of their ''Ulmus campestris concavaefolia'' (the description of which matches 'Webbiana'). The twigs had scattered hairs. The Kissena nurseries (Parsons & Sons) of New York (1903) described the leaves of their ''Ulmus campestris cucullata'' as "deeply curled like a hood, and sharply notched along the edges". Both descriptions match the ''U. glabra'' Huds. 'Concavaefolia' of Fontaine (1968), with its leaf folded lengthwise along the midrib, making it more or less tubular. Herbarium specimens show an up-curling wych leaf with a shorter petiole, more deeply toothed margin, and more acuminate apex than 'Webbiana'. The

samara Samara ( rus, Сама́ра, p=sɐˈmarə), known from 1935 to 1991 as Kuybyshev (; ), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara (Volga), Samara rivers, with ...

was confirmed by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 2017 as ''U. glabra'' Huds.. File:Ulmus. East Preston Street Cemetery, Edinburgh (5).jpg, 'Concavaefolia', East Preston Street Cemetery, Edinburgh, October 2016 (after upper right ascending branch removed because of DED infection) File:Ulmus. East Preston Street Cemetery, Edinburgh (4).jpg, Bole File:AZ0017. Ulmus. Warriston Cemetery. Samarae (3).jpg, Samarae File:AZ0017. Ulmus. Warriston Cemetery. New leaves (3).jpg, New leaves File:Ulmus. East Preston Street Cemetery, Edinburgh (6).jpg, Branchlets File:Leaves of Ulmus, Warriston Cemetery, one shown unfolded..jpg, Leaves of 'Concavaefolia', one unfolded, the others pressed in curled state (Warriston Cemetery, Edinburgh, September, 2016)

Pests and diseases

The tree is susceptible to Dutch elm disease.

Cultivation

Though once cultivated in Europe and North America, only one specimen of 'Concavaefolia' is now known to survive (see 'Notable trees'). The cultivar was marketed as ''Ulmus montana cucullata'' Hort. by the van Houtte nursery of Ghent in the late 19th century,''Cultures de Louis van Houtte: Plantes Vivaces de Pleine Terre''
''Catalogue de Louis van Houtte, 1881-2'', p.303 the name used for the specimen at Kew Gardens. 'Concavaefolia' may have been the ''Ulmus campestris cucullata'' distributed by the Späth nursery of Berlin in the late 19th and early 20th century (to go by Späth's description of hooded ''grey'' leaves) and supplied by him to the

Dominion Arboretum The Dominion Arboretum (french: Arboretum du Dominion) is an arboretum part of the Central Experimental Farm of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Originally begun in 1889, the Arboretum covers about of rolling land ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Canada (one tree, 1897), to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (three trees, 1902), and to the

Ryston Hall Ryston Hall, Ryston, Norfolk, England is a 17th-century country house built by Sir Roger Pratt for himself. The house was constructed between 1669 and 1672 in the Carolean style. In the late 18th century, John Soane made alterations to the hous ...

arboretum, Norfolk (one tree, 1916). The tree was introduced to the USA c.1871, appearing as ''Ulmus campestris cucullata'' in the catalogues of the Mount Hope Nursery (also known as Ellwanger and

Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...

) of Rochester, New York, the name by which it was marketed by the Kissena nurseries, N.Y.Kissena Nurseries, N.Y., 1903 catalogue, p.34
/ref> The cultivar was also marketed by Trumbull and Beebe's nursery, San Francisco, in the 1890s, as "Cucullata: a new variety, with leaves deeply curled like a hood, and sharply notched along the edges". It is not known to have been introduced to Australia or New Zealand. 'Concavaefolia' has been included in the propagation programme (2017) of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Notable trees

A specimen stood till 2017 (girth 2.8 m) in East Preston Street Cemetery, Edinburgh, before succumbing to DED. A second, decayed old tree in

Warriston Cemetery Warriston Cemetery is a cemetery in Edinburgh. It lies in Warriston, one of the northern suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built by the then newly-formed Edinburgh Cemetery Company, and occupies around of land on a slightly sloping si ...

, Edinburgh, is the remains (2019) of an ''Ulmus glabra'' 'Horizontalis'

grafted Grafting or graftage is a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion () while the lower part is called the rootstock. The succ ...

at 2 m on a stock of 'Concavaefolia'.By the west wall, middle level, of Warriston Cemetery, Edinburg

The stock, now 3 m in girth (2016), flushes before the scion on a few ascending branches and bole shoots. It produces no suckers. File:Foliage of Ulmus. Warriston Cemetery (1).jpg, Bole-shoots of 'Concavaefolia', Warriston Cemetery, Edinburgh File:Foliage of Ulmus 'Webbiana' (2).jpg, 'Concavaefolia' foliage silhouette, Warriston Cemetery

Synonymy

* ''Ulmus campestris'' L. ''cucullata'' Hort.Kissena Nurseries, N.Y., 1903 catalogue, p.34
/ref> * ''Ulmus montana cucullata'': van Houttebioportal.naturalis.nl, specimen L.1586967
/ref> *''Ulmus scabra'' Mill. ''glabra'' Huds.var. ''concavaefolia''.

Notes

References

{{Elm species, varieties, hybrids, hybrid cultivars and species cultivars , state=collapsed Wych elm cultivar Ulmus articles with images Ulmus Articles with quotation marks in the title