Origin England | ||
Hybrid parentage U. glabra × U. minor 'Plotii' People also search for Etrusca, Ulmus × hollandica 'Angustifolia' | ||
The hybrid elm cultivar Ulmus × hollandica 'Elegantissima' was the name given by A. R. Horwood in his Flora of Leicestershire and Rutland (1933) to an elm found in those counties and later identified by Melville as a natural hybrid between Wych Elm and Plot Elm. According to Melville, the hybrid occurs in the main areas of Plot Elm distribution, where it is more common than Plot Elm itself. The tree is sometimes known simply as the 'Midlands Elm'.
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The tree should not be confused with U. suberosa (: minor?) elegantissima Hort. listed by Kirchner [2], in Kirchner & Petzold[3] Arboretum Muscaviense 556, 1864, as a synonym for U. × viminalis 'Variegata' (: Marginata).
Description
Bean, following Melville, says the hybrid is variable in form, combining characteristics of Wych Elm and Plot Elm. The tree is said to have rather narrow leaves of leathery texture.
Pests and diseases
'Elegantissima' is susceptible to Dutch elm disease.
Cultivation
Hybrids labelled U. glabra × U. plotii (sic) survived at Kew Gardens and the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh until the 1970s and 1980s. In 1976 and 1980, Melville found several in Didcot, at the Power Station, and Foscot Copse. In the UK, owing to Dutch elm disease, no mature specimens are known to survive beyond the Brighton enclave. The tree is not known to have been introduced to North America or Australasia.