Ulmus 'Betulaefolia Nigrescens'

The elm cultivar Ulmus 'Betulaefolia Nigrescens', the Black Birch-leaved Elm, reportedly a seedling of a purplish-leaved elm, was first described by Pynaert in 1879 as U. campestris betulaefolia nigrescens.[1][2] An U. campestris betulaefolia nigrescens Hort. was distributed by the Späth nursery, Berlin, in the 1890s and early 1900s.[3][4][5]

Ulmus 'Betulaefolia Nigrescens'
Genus	Ulmus
Cultivar	'Betulaefolia Nigrescens'
Origin	Belgium

Green considered the 1930s' cultivar U. nigricans (U. 'Nigricans') a synonym of 'Betulaefolia Nigrescens'.[2]

The cultivar is not to be confused with Pynaert's U. campestris latifolia nigricans, described in the same 1879 publication (Green's U. 'Latifolia Nigricans' ).

Description

The tree was said to have dark, birch-shaped leaves.[2] Späth's cultivar was described as having "brownish leaves".[4] No herbarium leaf-specimens of this cultivar are known.

Pests and diseases

Not known.

Cultivation

No specimens are known to survive. One tree was planted in 1897 as U. campestris betulaefolia nigrescens, the 'Black Birch-leaved Elm', at the Dominion Arboretum, Ottawa, Canada.[6] Three specimens supplied by Späth to the RBGE in 1902 as U. campestris betulaefolia nigrescens may survive in Edinburgh, as it was the practice of the Garden to distribute trees about the city (viz. the Wentworth Elm);[7] the current list of Living Accessions held in the Garden per se does not list the plant.[8] A specimen of U. 'Betulaefolia Nigrescens', obtained from Späth before 1914, stood in the Ryston Hall arboretum, Norfolk,[9] in the early 20th century.[10] The cultivar is not known to have been introduced to Australasia.

References

1. Pynaert, Édouard-Christophe (1879). "Trois nouvelles variétés d'Ormes". Bulletins d'arboriculture, de culture potagère et de floriculture: 57. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
2. Green, Peter Shaw (1964). "Registration of cultivar names in Ulmus". Arnoldia. Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University. 24 (6–8): 41–80. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
3. Späth, L., Catalogue 79 (1890-91; Berlin), p.113
4. Katalog (PDF). 108. Berlin, Germany: L. Späth Baumschulenweg. 1902–1903. pp. 132–133.
5. Späth, L., Catalogue 158 (1913-14; Berlin), p.137
6. Saunders, William; Macoun, William Tyrrell (1899). Catalogue of the trees and shrubs in the arboretum and botanic gardens at the central experimental farm (2 ed.). pp. 74–75.
7. Accessions book. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. 1902. pp. 45, 47.
8. "List of Living Accessions: Ulmus". Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
9. rystonhall.co.uk/
10. Ryston Hall Arboretum catalogue. c. 1920. pp. 13–14.