Elm

Stand of Elm trees in open grove.

Description

Elm (Ulmus spp./Ulmaceae). The genus Elm (Ulmus spp.) has about 45 species that grow in Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean region and all of the New World. All species are identical microscopically. In the U.S., Elms are native to the eastern and Midwest United States. The trees can attain heights of 100 ft with diameters of 3 ft. Elm sapwood is off white, and the heartwood is light brown to reddish brown. Elm is medium with respect to weight, hardness and stiffness and excellent bending strength and resistance to shock. It has interlocked grain, making it difficult to split. It is slightly to nonresistant to decay. It is used for baskets, boxes, caskets, cheese boxes, crates, furniture, hockey sticks, pulp and paper manufacture, slack cooperage, and veneer.

Tech Sheet

https://research.fs.usda.gov/silvics/american-elm

Characteristics

Small branch of elm with leaves.

Characteristics found in the Elm (Ulmus spp.)

  • Ring Porous
  • Latewood Pattern Ulmiform (wavy bands)
  • Spirals in vessels
  • Simple perforations
  • I/V pits medium to large (8-50)
  • Rays 1-8 seriate & homocellular
  • Crystals in axial parenchyma

Slides (Click on each image to view a larger image)

WOOD SLIDES

Microscope slide of transverse section of Elm wood. Arrows identify location of rays, latewood, earlywood, and the growth ring boundary.

Cross-section of Elm (Ulmus sp.) showing growth ring boundary and ulmiform latewood.

Microscope slide of transverse section of Elm wood. Arrows identify ulmiform type vessels, fibers, and rays.

Cross-section of Elm (Ulmus sp.) showing thick fibers, rays and ulmiform latewood vessels.

Microscope slide of radial section of Elm wood. Arrows point to vessels, axial parenchyma, and rays.
Microscope slide of radial section of Elm wood. Arrows point to axilal parenchyma, rays, and vessel.
Microscope slide of radial section of Elm wood. Arrows point to the ray, ray-vessel pits, and the vessel.
Microscope slide of tangential section of Elm wood. Arrows point to groupings of rays, axial parenchyma, vessels, and inter-vessel pits.
Microscope slide of tangential section of Elm wood under greater magnification. Arrows point to rays, axial parenchyma, inter-vessel pits, and the vessel.

CHARCOAL SLIDES

Microscope slide of radial section of Elm charcoal. Arrows point to vessel and ray.
Microscope slide of tangential surface of Elm charcoal. Arrows point to location of vessels.
Microscope slide of tangential surface of Elm charcoal. Arrows point to location of vessels and rays.
Microscope slide of transverse section of Elm charcoal. Arrows point to latewood, earlywood, and the growth ring boundaries.
Microscope slide of transverse section of Elm charcoal. Arrows point to locations of the growth ring boundaries.
Microscope slide of transverse section of Elm charcoal. Arrows point to earlywood and latewood.