Mature trees have a massive straight trunk persisting half way through the crown.
The bark is deeply cracked which in maturity form square plates
| There are branches at all levels which twist and ascend at the top of a dense domed crown
| Lower limbs become rapidly diffuse becoming short and slender
| In sub-mature trees the majority of branches are ascending
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The leaves are nearly always attacked by the leaf-gall mite Eriophytes ulmicola
| It suckers freely
| Occasionally produces a mass of flowers clustered on small shoots which are purple caused by tufts of purple stamens
| It rarely sets seed and fruit is usually sterile.
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A broad spreading tree, the trunk usually forks into a Y shape.
Sub-mature trees have smooth (hence ‘glabra’) silvery-grey bark which latter become fissured.
| The leaves are greater than 7cm in length:-
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It does not sucker freely, although it does coppice well (unlike English Elm U. procera).
| Flowers are densely clustered close to shoots, dark purplish-red in early March
| Wych Elm produces a mass of viable seed with relatively young trees reach fruiting maturity. Fruit is bright pale green with a broad obovate membrane which is slightly notched, they are prominent before the leaves form in late April and are contained in bunches
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Typically a tall tree with a narrow domed crown.
Limbs in the upper crown are nearly all vertical, various size of branches ascend from the trunk
| unlike English Elm U. procera arch over to end in long pendulous branchlets with a narrow system of fine curled shoots.
| The bark has deep long, vertical fissures, young branches commonly have thick corky ridges.
| It has much smaller leaves than its counterparts being less than 7cm in length:-
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It is rarely attacked by the elm leaf-gall mite.
| Where Small-leaved Elm U. minor is present it too is clonal i.e. produces suckers freely which are genetically identical to the parent plant.
| Flowers are red with white stigmas
| Fruit in elliptic membrane, cuneate (wedge shape) at base, seed near closed notch
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A hybrid between Small-leaved Elm U. minor and Wych Elm U. glabra
Tree with a regular tall domed crown with a straight clean bole.
| Bark is dark brown, sometimes grey, with an even network of broad flat ridges.
| It is non-suckering
| Its leaves are elliptic, long-acuminate, 10-13 x 8cm, doubly toothed with a petiole between 1-2cm,
| the upper surface is glossy, it has a very oblique base, one side is rounded curving to a first vein.
| Flowers are large, prominent and bright red
| Seed is obovate, notched, pale green, crimson in centre over seed.
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Specifically a woodland elm.
It has an intermediate leaf shape between Small-leaved Elm U. minor and Wych Elm U. glabra, unlike the more familiar hybrid Dutch Elm Ulmus x hollandica it is non-invasive and coppices well.
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