Ulmaceae

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iUlmaceae

Asymmetrical leaf base of Ulmus rubra

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Ulmaceae Mirb.

Genera

Ampelocera Klotzsch
Chaetachme Planch.</br> Hemiptelea Planch.</br> Holoptelea Planch.</br> Phyllostylon Benth.</br> Planera J.F.Gmel. - Water-elm
Ulmus L. - Elms
Zelkova Spach - Zelkovas

Ulmaceae is a family of flowering plant that includes the elms (genus Ulmus) and the zelkovas (genus Zelkova). Members of the family are widely distributed througout the north temperate zone, and have a scattered distribution elsewhere except for being absent as natives to Australasia.<ref>Watson, L.; Dallwitz, M. J. (1992 onwards). The Families of Flowering Plants: Ulmaceae Mirb.. Retrieved on 21 November 2006.</ref><ref name="stevens">Stevens, P (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved on 21 November 2006.</ref> The family is sometimes also treated to include the hackberries, (Celtis and allies), but analysis by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group members suggests that these genera are better placed in the related family Cannabaceae. The circumscription included in the taxobox is the one suggested by P. Stevens on his Missouri Botanical Garden Angiosperm Phylogeny Website and includes information from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Vascular Plant Families and Genera list.<ref name="stevens"/>

[edit] Description

The family is a group of evergreen or deciduous trees and shrubs with mucilagenous substances in leaf and bark tissue. Leaves are usually alternate on the stems, sometimes distichous. The leaf blades are simple (not compound), with entire (smooth) or variously toothed margins, and often have an assymetrical base. The flowers are small, and the fruit is an indehiscent samara, nut, or drupe. Ulmus provides important timber trees mostly for furniture, and U. rubra, the Slippery elm is a medicinal plant known for the demulcent property of its inner bark. Planera is also a timber species. Planera, Ulmus, and Zelkova are all grown as ornamental trees.