Ulmus gaussenii

Description

Ulmus gaussenii W. C. Cheng, the Anhui, or hairy, elm, is a medium size deciduous tree whose natural range is restricted to the valleys of the Langya limestone mountains of Chu Xian in Anhui Province, eastern China. The tree was most commonly found on the flood plains, indicating a tolerance of periodic inundation. However, U. gaussenii is possibly the rarest and most endangered elm species, with only approximately 30 trees known to survive in the wild. The tree was introduced to the West in 1995, at the Morton Arboretum, Illinois, as part of an evaluation of Chinese elms for landscape use.