Ulmus bergmanniana C.K.Schneid.,Schneider, Camillo Karl, Illustriertes Handbuch der Laubholzkunde (Jena, 1907), p.902 commonly known as Bergmann's elm, is a deciduous tree found across much of China in forests at elevations of 1500–3000 m.
Description The tree is very closely related to the wych elm Ulmus glabra;, Richens, R. H., Elm (Cambridge, 1983), p.87 it can reach a height of with a wide-spreading crown, and a trunk of about 0.9 m d.b.h.Fu, L., Xin, Y. & Whittemore, A. (2002). Ulmaceae, in Wu, Z. & Raven, P. (eds) Flora of China, Vol. 5 (Ulmaceae through Basellaceae). Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, USA. The bark is longitudinally fissured, and varies in colour from greyish-white to dark grey.U. bergmanniana bark photograph, Xianyang City, Yangling District, Shaanxi Province, China; ppbc.iplant.cn/ The pubescent leaves range from obovate to elliptic, less than long, and bluish-green when mature.White, J. & More, D. (2003). Trees of Britain & Northern Europe. Cassell's, London. ; Schneider's leaf-drawing (1907) shows a short wych-like petiole.Schneider, Camillo Karl, Illustriertes Handbuch der Laubholzkunde (Jena, 1907), p.903-904 The perfect, wind-pollinated apetalous flowers are produced on second-year shoots in February,Campbell University Herbarium specimen. Sheet labelled U. bergmanniana Schneid., flowers from Morton Arboretum (2011) followed by generally obovate samarae <30 mm long by 14 mm width, the centre of the seed about 7 mm from the slightly notched apex. Sheet labelled U. bergmanniana Schneid., new leaves and samarae, Kew Gardens specimen (1960) Branchlets do not possess the corky wings characteristic of many other elm species.
Pests and diseases U. bergmanniana has a moderate resistance to Dutch elm disease; in trials in Oklahoma it was also found to be eschewed by the elm leaf beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola , but further north at the Morton Arboretum was moderately to highly preferred by the insect. The species is also susceptible to the elm leafminer.Grimshaw, J. & Bayton, R. (2009). New Trees - Recent Introductions to Cultivation. RBG Kew, London.
Cultivation The tree was introduced to the West in 1900. In trials in the USA it was found to propagate well, and also proved to be very winter hardy. The tree was one of 12 Chinese species under evaluation at the Morton Arboretum, Illinois, in 2009 by the late Dr George Ware.Dirr, M. (2009). 'Future Tree Selections'. Western, Spring 2009, p.8. Western Nursery & Landscape Association, St Joseph, Missouri.Bergmann's elm at Morton Arboretum; cirrusimage There are no known cultivars of this taxon.
Subspecies & varieties Two varieties are recognized: var. bergmanniana L.K.Fu, and var. lasiophylla C.K.Schneid..
Etymology The species was named by Camillo Karl Schneider for his friend Carl Bergmann, who assisted in indexing the work in which it was published.
Accessions North America Brenton Arboretum, US. Chicago Botanic Garden, US. Planted in West Collections Area. Denver Botanic Gardens, US. No acc. no. available. Morton Arboretum, US. acc. no. 44-95 . Obtained from Yunnan Province, China. United States National Arboretum, Washington, D.C., US. Acc. nos. 68997, 76216, 76217, 76242, 68977.
Europe Wijdemeren City Council, Netherlands. Elm collection. Planted 2013 Smeerdijkgaarde, Kortenhoef.
Nurseries Europe Pan-Global Plants , Frampton-on-Severn, Gloucestershire, UK.
References
External links U. bergmanniana description, efloras.org U. bergmanniana leaves and fruit illustration, efloras.org Photographs (tree, leaves and fruit) labelled U. bergmanniana (18 pages) on Plant Photo Bank of China, ppbc.iplant U. bergmanniana, Kew Gardens 'Plants of the World Online' (herbarium specimen not matching efloras illustration above) U. bergmanniana description, and photographs labelled Bergmann's elm, ulmen-handbuch.de