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Common name: Red Elm

Scientific name: Ulmus Rubra

 Leaf:                 Type: simple

                        Form: 1. Vein: pinnate

                                      2. Apex: pointed

                                      3. Margin: toothed

                                      4. Base: symmetrical base

                        Arrangement:  Alternate

  Flower: yes

Fruit: yes

(12-19) long; nearly round flat 1 seeded keys.

Twig: stout, reddish-brown, with short, gray hairs.

 Bark: Reddish brown to gray, with shallow furrows; inner bark becomes slippery when chewed.

 
Form: Moderate tree up to 80 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 4 feet; crown broadly rounded or occasionally flat-topped.

 Discussion:  The thick, slightly fragrant, edible, glue like inner bark is dried and afterwards moistened for use as a cough medicine or as a poultice. This “slippery” inner bark (found by chewing through the outer bark of a twig) is helpful in identification. The Latin species name refers to the large brown buds covered with rust-colored hairs.

Origin: Florida, Illinois, North Dakota

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References: http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?source=&parkid=&searchText=ulmus&

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