Trees of Indiana Part 14

ULMUS FULVA Michaux. Red or Slippery Elm. ( 1/2.)]

=2. Ulmus americana= Linnaeus. White Elm. Plate 58. Large trees; bark deeply fissured, gray, the ridges showing white streaks between the layers; twigs more or less hairy at first and usually becoming glabrous by the end of the season; buds ovate, acute and glabrous; leaves ovate, oval or obovate, average blades 8-12 cm. long, hairy on both sides on expanding, becoming at maturity glabrous above and smooth or rough, sometimes very rough on vigorous young shoots, remaining p.u.b.escent beneath, rarely glabrous; fruit ripening before or as the leaves unfold, generally oval in shape, about 1 cm. long, both surfaces glabrous, margins about as wide as the seed and fringed with hairs; wood hard, tough, flexible, generally hard to split, warps badly in seasoning.

=Distribution.=--Quebec to Florida, west to Texas and Nebraska. Found throughout Indiana, and doubtless in every county. It is frequent to common or very common on the flood plains of streams, in wet woods and in low ground generally.

=Remarks.=--This species is also called water elm, swamp elm, gray elm, bitter elm, sour elm and in southwestern counties it is often called red elm. In Perry County it is often called hub elm. It is generally known as "elm" and when this term is used, it refers to this species. The wood has a very wide range of uses. The greatest amount has been used for hoops, staves and heading. Large quant.i.ties have been used in the manufacture of agricultural implements, hubs, furniture, basket handles, etc. White elm is usually considered very difficult to split, but I was informed by a pioneer timber cutter that the heart wood of the veterans of the forest splits as well as oak, and that he worked many a tree up into staves. He told me that he made into staves a tree in Paulding County, Ohio, that was eight feet in diameter at the stump. There is little attempt being made by woodlot owners to propagate this tree.

However, the natural propagation of the species is probably greater than any other species because it produces seed at an early age, and culls of the forest are not cut because they are not good for fuel which leaves them to produce seed. Then the seed are light, and are scattered to great distances by the wind and water. It is propagated very easily from seedlings.

The tree when grown in the open has a tendency to be bushy and unless it is given some pruning will have a very short clear trunk. It has always been regarded as one of the best species for shade tree planting. For beauty of form it is not excelled by any tree for shade or ornamental planting. However, it has several insect enemies that require spraying to keep them under control.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 58.

ULMUS AMERICANA Linnaeus. White Elm. ( 1/2.)]

=3. Ulmus Thomasi= Sargent. Hickory Elm. Rock Elm. Plate 59. Large trees; bark deeply fissured and grayish like the bark of the white elm; twigs light brown, generally densely hairy and remaining more or less p.u.b.escent until the end of the season or later, the twigs of some specimens are glabrous or only slightly hairy at first and soon become glabrous and somewhat glaucous, after the first year some of the branchlets begin to develop 1-4 corky ridges from a few millimeters to 5 or 6 mm. in thickness, the ridges are wide and rounded at the top, dark gray, brown and discontinuous, rarely a corky ridge will appear on a branchlet the first year; leaves oval or obovate, average blades 8-15 cm. long, at maturity glabrous and smooth or rough to very rough above, permanently p.u.b.escent beneath especially on the veins; fruit ripens late in May or early in June when the leaves are from 1/2 to 2/3 grown; samara oval, usually 1.5-2 cm. long, oblique at the base, with a beak 2-5 mm. long at the apex, both faces p.u.b.escent, wing about as wide as the seed; wood hard heavy, strong, flexible, uses the same as white elm.

=Distribution.=--Southern Quebec and Ontario south to northern New Jersey and west to Minnesota and Missouri. The distribution in Indiana has not been studied. The frequency of its occurrence is not known, and all of the known stations are given. The published records are as follows: Dearborn (Collins); Franklin (Meyncke); Hamilton (Wilson); Jefferson (Barnes) and (Deam); n.o.ble (VanGorder); Parke (Hobbs); St.

Joseph (Nieuwland); Steuben (Bradner); Wayne (Petry and Markle); Wells (Deam). Additional records are Hendricks, n.o.ble, Ripley, Vermillion and Wayne by Deam. The published record for Posey County by Deam and Schneck should be referred to _Ulmus alata_. It prefers a well drained soil and is most frequently found near the base of the slope or on the top of flood plain banks of streams, in ravines, or in a habitat like a beech-sugar maple woods. It is reported to have been frequent in Franklin, n.o.ble and Wells Counties.

Its appearance and habit of growth is so much like the white elm that it is not commonly distinguished from it, which accounts for the lack of definite knowledge of its range in our area.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 59.

ULMUS THOMASI Sargent. Hickory or Rock Elm. ( 1/2.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 60.

ULMUS ALATA Michaux. Winged Elm. ( 1/2.)]

=4. Ulmus alata= Michaux. Winged Elm. Plate 60. Small to medium sized trees; bark rather closely fissured, grayish or reddish-brown, in appearance like white elm; twigs hairy at first, generally remaining more or less p.u.b.escent throughout the season, rarely becoming entirely glabrous before the end of the season, a light brown gradually becoming a gray-brown; branchlets usually begin to develop two thin narrow corky ridges, becoming by the end of the second year 4-7 mm. thick, the year's growth of corky layer a light brown, the older layers a darker brown, the two main corky ridges are on opposite sides of the twigs, and between these there are generally additional corky excrescences, especially on the older branches; leaves oblong-lanceolate or oval, some somewhat falcate, average blades 4-8 cm. long, p.u.b.escent on both sides on unfolding, becoming at maturity glabrous or nearly so above, some are rough above at maturity, remaining p.u.b.escent until maturity beneath; petioles short, generally 2-3 mm. long, rarely 5 mm. or longer; fruit ripening before or with the unfolding of the leaves; samara 6-10 mm.

long, p.u.b.escent on both faces.

=Distribution.=--Virginia west through southern Indiana to southern Missouri, south to the Gulf and west to Texas. In Indiana it is confined to the southwestern part of the State. Gorby's report for Miami should be ignored. It has been reported as far north as Vigo and Monroe Counties by Blatchley, and as far east as Clark County by Baird and Taylor. The author has collected it in Crawford, Dubois, Martin, Orange, Perry, Posey, Spencer and Warrick Counties.

The tree has two rather distinct habitats. In the hill counties it is found on the sides of cliffs, steep slopes or on the top of the ridges with such species as the black, chestnut and scarlet oaks and chestnut.

In this habitat it is usually a small scrubby tree with an excessive number of side branches. Such specimens usually have the corky ridges well developed on all of the branches and the tree presents a weird appearance. The second habitat is in the hard clay flats of the southwestern counties. In Warrick County along Big Pigeon Creek west of Boonville I measured a specimen 21 dm. in circ.u.mference and I estimated the clear bole at 8 m. It was a.s.sociated with sweet gum, black gum, white elm, red birch, red oak, etc. It is found throughout this county both in the "flats" and on the sandy ridges. In Posey County it is a frequent tree in the low woods about 10 miles southwest of Mt. Vernon.

In these woods it acquires a diameter of 3-6 dm. and is a.s.sociated with post oak, Spanish oak, sweet gum, shingle oak, etc. It is to be noted that specimens that grow in these conditions and those that acquire a large size do not develop such conspicuous corky branches. A large tree over 6 dm. in diameter was noted in the eastern part of Gibson County growing in low sandy soil which was dest.i.tute of corky branches so far as could be seen from the ground. All of the branches examined were free from corky ridges, and only a few corky excrescences were present. The specimen could easily be identified by the leaves. Another large tree 12 dm. in circ.u.mference in a black oak woods 4 miles south of Marengo in Crawford County was also free from corky ridges.

This is an interesting tree and requires further study to establish its range in Indiana and to learn its habits. In Jasper, Indiana, it is a frequent shade tree. No doubt the trees were obtained from a nearby woods along the Patoka River where this species is known to occur.

=2. CeLTIS.= The Hackberries.

Trees with pith of branchlets chambered; flowers in Indiana species appear before the leaves, the leaves generally with 3 primary veins at the base; staminate flowers usually in cl.u.s.ters, the pistillate solitary or few together in the axils of the leaves, and near the end of the twigs; fruit a globose drupe, sometimes elongated, pulp thin and sweet, frequently remaining on the tree until late winter, relished by birds; stone bony, wrinkled.

Some of the American species of hackberry are very variable. The habitat of the species varies from deep swamps to arid rocky slopes. In fact, a single species as now understood may have a variable habitat. The following variations may be noted on the same tree or on different trees of the same species. The twigs may be glabrous, or p.u.b.escent; the leaves may vary in size, shape and texture, leaf margin, and in the roughness or smoothness of the surfaces; the petioles may be smooth or hairy; the pedicels may be glabrous or p.u.b.escent, shorter or longer than the petioles; the fruit also varies in shape. Leaves have been seen on the same tree which were smooth above, while others were quite rough above, the difference being due to the exposure to light.

The original descriptions of the species are too short to sufficiently characterize the species, which adds to the confusion. However, C. S.

Sargent[45] has recently revised the species and varieties of our area.

Prof. Sargent has examined and named all of my material for me. Mr. B.

F. Bush, who has extensively studied the hackberries in the field, also has examined my specimens.

The writer has paid special attention to the hackberries of the State for the past few years and is still in doubt as to the status of the species that occur in the State. Since I am not following the determinations made by Sargent and Bush, and am following the nomenclature of the first edition, I regard the present treatment as tentative only.

Margins of all the leaves sharply serrate all around except at base; nutlets 6-8 mm. long 1 C. occidentalis.

Margins of leaves of fruiting branches generally entire, or some with a few teeth on one side or with a few teeth on both sides; margins of the leaves of vegetative branches and shoots similar to those of fruiting branches or with the margins serrate nearly all around; nutlets 5-6 mm. long.

Leaves of a rather broad ovate type; mature fruit a dark cherry-red; usually shrubs, sometimes very small trees, of a dry habitat 2 C. pumila.

Leaves of an ovate-lanceolate type; mature fruit a light cherry-red; medium-sized trees of a wet habitat 3 C.

mississippiensis.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 61.

CELTIS OCCIDENTALIS Linnaeus. Hackberry. (x 1/2.)]

=1. Celtis occidentalis= Linnaeus. Hackberry. Plate 61. Medium to large-sized trees; bark of old trees irregularly furrowed, sometimes some of the surface warty and rough; twigs smooth or p.u.b.escent, the fruiting ones generally smooth; leaves of an ovate type on petioles 0.5-2 cm. long, the blades of fruiting twigs 5-15 cm. long, those of vegetative twigs sometimes larger, oblique or slightly cordate at base, gradually tapering to a point at apex, or long ac.u.minate at the apex, often becoming thick at maturity, especially those exposed to full sunlight, generally smooth above at maturity, especially those of fruiting twigs, or sometimes rough, especially those of vegetative branchlets or those growing in the shade, the under surface more or less p.u.b.escent along the veins at maturity; fruit matures in late autumn, very dark red, sometimes appearing almost black, globose or somewhat oblong, generally about 9-10 mm. in diameter, borne on pedicels which are longer or up to twice as long as the petioles; the pedicels which are always ascending are straight or somewhat curved upwards; nutlets globose, a little longer than wide.

=Distribution.=--Valley of the St. Lawrence River, southern Ontario, to North Dakota, and south to the Gulf States and west to Texas. More or less frequent along streams throughout the State, except in the hilly counties of the southern part of the State. It is always found in moist soil, except in the hilly counties where it may be found on wooded slopes or on high rocky bluffs bordering streams. In all of our area the species is practically confined to drainage basins, and is generally close to streams.

=Remarks.=--The wood is yellowish-white and before seasoning very much resembles ash for which it was generally sold. It has good bending qualities and is now much sought after for hoops. It was formerly often known as hoop ash. The supply is now becoming scarce, but when bought sells for the same price as good white elm.

Some writers include under the name _Celtis occidentalis_ only those forms which are small trees and have ovate, short-pointed leaves. This type of tree has not been found in Indiana. The form with long ac.u.minate pointed leave which is the common form in our area, is regarded as a variety of _Celtis occidentalis_. Trees having the upper surface of the leaves very rough are called _Celtis cra.s.sifolia_ Lamarck, or are merely regarded as a variety of _Celtis occidentalis_. This form is found throughout our area.

The hackberry is sometimes used as a shade tree. It can scarcely be recommended because its leaves and twigs are often affected by galls which detract from its appearance.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate 62.

CELTIS PUMILA var. DEAMII Sargent. Dwarf Hackberry. ( 1/2.)]

=2. Celtis pumila= (Muhlenberg) Pursh. Dwarf Hackberry. Plate 62. Bark thin, smooth and gray on shrub-like forms, warty or deeply fissured on the larger forms; ridges flat and broken, dark gray-brown; twigs at first hairy, becoming smooth or nearly so by autumn; leaves of an ovate type, broadly-ovate, oblong-ovate to narrow ovate, on petioles 0.5-1.5 cm. long, blades of fruiting branchlets 3-10 cm. long, those of sterile twigs sometimes larger, oblique, rounded or somewhat cordate at the base, taper-pointed, sometimes ac.u.minate at the apex, margins entire or with a few teeth usually about or above the middle, becoming thick and smooth above at maturity, sometimes rough, especially on vigorous shoots, generally somewhat p.u.b.escent along the veins beneath; fruit matures late in the autumn, usually an orange or light cherry color late in summer, becoming a very dark cherry color late in the autumn, globose to ellipsoidal, on pedicels about as long as the petioles; sometimes the pedicels are shorter but usually about one-half longer; pedicels generally ascending, rarely recurved, when recurved the pedicels are short.

=Distribution.=--Pennsylvania to northern Illinois, south to Florida and west to Arkansas. Local in Indiana. It has been collected by the writer in Lake County near the mouth of the Grand Calumet River where it was collected by E. J. Hill who has given us the most detailed account of this species.[46] Also collected on a high, gravelly hill on the east side of Hog-back Lake, Steuben County; on a rocky wooded slope in Hamar's Hollow southeast of Mitch.e.l.l in Lawrence County; on a "k.n.o.b" in Floyd County; on a rocky wooded slope near Big Spring in Washington County; frequent on a rocky wooded slope near the Ohio River east of Elizabeth in Harrison County; on the bank of Blue River near Milltown in Crawford County; and in Perry County along the bluffs of the Ohio River about six miles east of Cannelton, and also on the crest of a ridge about six miles southwest of Derby. It has also been reported by Nieuwland for Clark in Marshall County.

=Remarks.=--This species is usually a small shrub, and usually bears fruit when only 1.5-2 meters (5 or 6 feet) tall. Only a few trees have been seen that were 40 cm. (4 inches) in diameter. The small size at which this species fruits, easily distinguishes it from other species in our area. Its habitat also serves to distinguish it. Along Lake Michigan it grows on the dry sand dunes, and in southern Indiana it grows on dry rocky slopes.

Sargent who has examined all of my specimens credits Indiana with the typical species, and separates from it a form which he calls _Celtis pumila_ variety _Deamii_[47]. This variety is based upon my No. 18,727, and the type specimen has been photographed to ill.u.s.trate this species.

The writer is not able to separate the two forms in our area, and believes that all belong either to _Celtis pumila_ or to the new variety.

=3. Celtis mississippiensis= Bosc. (_Celtis laevigata_ Willdenow).

Sugarberry. Hackberry. Plate 63. Medium sized trees with the bark of the trunk of large trees irregularly covered with wart-like excrescences, rarely somewhat irregularly fissured, bark of the upper part of trunk and larger branches resembling that of the beech; leaves of an ovate-lanceolate type, as a whole narrower than the preceding species; on petioles 5-12 mm. long, blades of fruiting twigs 4-8 cm. long, usually rounded at the base, sometimes oblique, slightly cordate or somewhat narrowed at the base, usually gradually long-taper pointed at apex, margins generally entire, rarely a few teeth toward the apex, green on both surfaces, generally mature leaves are smooth above and below, more rarely somewhat rough above, and with some p.u.b.escence along the veins beneath; fruit in late summer an orange red color, gradually becoming darker until late autumn when it becomes red; pedicels shorter or longer than the petioles, usually slightly longer and ascending, fruit nearly globose, a trifle smaller than the preceding, and about two-thirds as large as the first.

=Distribution.=--Virginia, southern Indiana, Missouri, eastern Kansas, south to the Gulf States and west to Texas. In Indiana it is confined to the southwestern counties. It is now known to definitely occur in Sullivan, Gibson, Posey, Warrick and Spencer Counties. Two trees were noted also, in the Muscatatuck bottoms near Delany Creek in Washington County. A "single bush about eight feet high" was reported from Jefferson County by Young. This may have been the preceding species. It was also reported by Haymond from Franklin County.

=Remarks.=--With one exception all the specimens of this species have been found in very low ground. Usually it is a.s.sociated with such low ground species as pecan, sweet gum, swell-b.u.t.t ash, and the cane. One very peculiar specimen was found on the crest of a ridge about seven miles north of Salem in Washington County. It was a tree about fifteen feet tall, and had very narrow entire leaves.