Ulmus 'Morfeo'

Last updated
Ulmus 'Morfeo'
Morfeo GFF 2020.jpg
'Morfeo', Great Fontley, England
Genus Ulmus
Hybrid parentage (U. × hollandica × U. minor) × U. chenmoui
Cultivar 'Morfeo'
OriginIPP, Florence, Italy

Ulmus 'Morfeo' is a hybrid elm cultivar raised by the Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante (IPP), Florence, in 2000. [1] 'Morfeo' arose from a crossing of the Dutch hybrid clone '405' (female parent) and the Chenmou Elm, the latter a small tree from the provinces of Anhui and Jiangsu in eastern China, [2] [3] [4] The '405' clone is a full sister of 'Groeneveld', a crossing of an English U. × hollandica and a French U. minor from the Barbier Nursery, Orléans. [5]

Contents

'Morfeo' was patented and released to commerce in 2011. [4] It was solely propagated by the Georgio Tesi nursery in Italy, but production had ceased by 2020. The tree was introduced to the UK in 2006 (as 'FL509') by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Branch, Butterfly Conservation , as part of an assessment of DED-resistant cultivars as potential hosts of the endangered White-letter Hairstreak. [6]

Description

'Morfeo' is a robust, fast-growing tree able to freestand at a very early age. [7] The stem commences forking at between 1.5 and 2 m from the ground, the branches on juvenile trees with irregular patches of corky bark. The reddish branchlets bear mid – green elliptic leaves, < 120 mm (avg. 88 mm) long × < 80 mm (avg. 56 mm) broad with 10 mm petioles. The leaves closely resemble those of the Field Elm, with typically asymmetric base and acuminate apex; they turn crimson in late October, before falling in early November. The sessile samarae ripen in mid May, and are narrowly obovate, 17–22 mm long × 9 – 13 mm broad with the seed offset next to the notched apex. [4] In the UK the tree begins flowering in its fourth year, the perfect, apetalous wind-pollinated flowers appearing in mid March; the tree will usually begin to sucker from roots when aged about 5 years.

Pests and diseases

'Morfeo' has a very high resistance to Dutch Elm Disease. In trials conducted by the Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante, Florence, 'Morfeo' sustained just 4.7% defoliation and 0.0% dieback when inoculated with unnaturally high concentrations of the fungal pathogen, compared with 19.8% / 11.7% resp. for Lutece, and 50% / 35.5% resp. for 'Lobel'. [4] However, 'Morfeo' is particularly susceptible to the phytoplasma phloem necrosis, commonly known as elm yellows. [6]

Cultivation

'Morfeo' is (2019) only in commerce in Italy. The tree was introduced to the UK in 2006 as a potential host plant for the White-letter Hairstreak butterfly Satyrium w-album by Butterfly Conservation , and has proven the fastest-growing of 13 cultivars on trial on a shallow sandy, gravelly loam over Reading Beds, increasing in stem diameter by 2.1 cm per annum. 'Morfeo' is also tolerant of heavy winter-wet soils. [6] However, as of 1 January 2018, import into the UK from Italy was prohibited, the plant unable to qualify for a phytopassport owing to the prevalence of elm yellows in the region of propagation. [8] The cultivar was introduced to North America in 2010, at the National Arboretum, Washington, D.C., and released from quarantine in 2013; it is not known to have been introduced to Australasia.

Etymology

The cultivar is named for Morfeo (English: Morpheus), the Roman god of dreams to whom the elm was sacred. There was an elm in Morpheus' domain, upon which hung the dreams fashioned by the Oneiroi. From the Aeneid by Virgil, translated by Dryden:

Full in the midst of this infernal road,

An elm displays her dusky arms abroad:

The God of Sleep there hides his heavy head,

And empty dreams on ev'ry leaf are spread.

Accessions

Europe

North America

Related Research Articles

<i>Ulmus</i> San Zanobi Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'San Zanobi' is a hybrid elm cultivar raised by the Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante (IPP) in Florence, from a crossing of the Dutch hybrid 'Plantyn' and the Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila clone 'S 15'; it was released to commerce in 2002. 'San Zanobi' was introduced to the UK in 2004 by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Branch, Butterfly Conservation, as part of its assessment of DED-resistant cultivars as potential hosts of the endangered White-letter Hairstreak.

<i>Ulmus</i> Plinio Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'Plinio' is a hybrid elm cultivar derived from a crossing of the Dutch cultivar 'Plantyn' with the Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila clone 'S.2'. 'Plinio' was raised by the Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante (IPP), in Florence and released for sale in 2003. 'Plinio' was introduced to the UK in 2004 by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Branch, Butterfly Conservation, as part of its assessment of DED-resistant cultivars as potential hosts of the endangered White-letter Hairstreak.

<i>Ulmus davidiana <span style="font-style:normal;">var.</span> japonica</i> Variety of tree

Ulmus davidiana var. japonica, the Japanese elm, is one of the larger and more graceful Asiatic elms, endemic to much of continental northeast Asia and Japan, where it grows in swamp forest on young alluvial soils, although much of this habitat has now been lost to intensive rice cultivation.

<i>Ulmus</i> Nanguen Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'Nanguen' is a complex fourth generation Dutch hybrid cultivar raised at the Dorschkamp Research Institute for Forestry & Landscape Planning, Wageningen. Lutèce was derived from the cross 'Plantyn' ×, an ancestry comprising four field elms, a wych elm, the curious Exeter Elm ('Exoniensis'), and a frost-resistant selection of the Himalayan elm.

<i>Ulmus laciniata</i> Species of tree

Ulmus laciniata(Trautv.) Mayr, known variously as the Manchurian, cut-leaf, or lobed elm, is a deciduous tree native to the humid ravine forests of Japan, Korea, northern China, eastern Siberia and Sakhalin, growing alongside Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Aesculus turbinata, and Pterocarya rhoifolia, at elevations of 700–2200 m, though sometimes lower in more northern latitudes, notably in Hokkaido.

<i>Ulmus chenmoui</i> Species of tree

Ulmus chenmouiW. C. Cheng, commonly known as the Chenmou, or Langya Mountain elm, is a small deciduous tree from the more temperate provinces of Anhui and Jiangsu in eastern China, where it is found at elevations below 200 m on the Langya Shan and Baohua Shan mountains. The tree was unknown in the West until 1979, when seeds were sent from Beijing to the De Dorschkamp research institute at Wageningen in the Netherlands.

<i>Ulmus</i> × <i>hollandica</i> Groeneveld Elm cultivar

The Dutch hybrid elm cultivar Ulmus × hollandica 'Groeneveld' was cloned in 1949 at the De Dorschkamp Institute, Wageningen, and released in 1963 in response to the earlier, less virulent form of Dutch elm disease that afflicted Europe shortly after the First World War. The cultivar was derived from a crossing of Dutch clones '49', and '1', a Field Elm Ulmus minor found in central France and marketed by the Barbier nursery in Orléans.

<i>Ulmus</i> Lobel Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'Lobel' is a Dutch hybrid cultivar raised at the Dorschkamp Research Institute for Forestry & Landscape Planning, Wageningen, from a crossing of clone '202' with '336'. 'Lobel' was cloned in 1962 and released for sale in 1973.

<i>Ulmus</i> Sapporo Autumn Gold Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'Sapporo Autumn Gold' is one of the most commercially successful hybrid elm cultivars ever marketed, widely planted across North America and western Europe, although it has now been largely supplanted by more recent introductions. Arising from a chance crossing of the Japanese elm and Siberian elm, seed was sent in 1958 by Prof. Nobuku Takahashi and his colleagues at the Sapporo Botanical Garden of Hokkaido University, Sapporo, to Eugene Smalley at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The patent issued in 1975 has expired, and there are now no propagation restrictions.

<i>Ulmus gaussenii</i> Species of tree

Ulmus gausseniiW. 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 now possibly the rarest and most endangered elm species, with only approximately 30 trees known to survive in the wild in 2009.

<i>Ulmus</i> Wanoux Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'Wanoux' is a Dutch hybrid cultivar raised at the Dorschkamp Research Institute for Forestry & Landscape Planning, Wageningen, from an open pollination of 'Plantyn'. Originally identified as clone No. 762, it was selected for assessment by the French Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), which patented it as 'Wanoux' in 2006.

<i>Ulmus</i> Columella Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'Columella' is a Dutch elm cultivar raised by the Dorschkamp Research Institute for Forestry & Landscape Planning, Wageningen, from a selfed or openly pollinated seedling of the hybrid clone 'Plantyn' sown in 1967. It was released for sale in 1989 after proving extremely resistant to Dutch elm disease following inoculation with unnaturally high doses of the pathogen, Ophiostoma novo-ulmi. However, propagated by grafting onto wych elm rootstocks, graft failure owing to incompatibility has become a common occurrence in the Netherlands.

<i>Ulmus davidiana</i> var. <i>japonica</i> Prospector Elm cultivar

The Japanese elm cultivar Ulmus davidianavar.japonica 'Prospector' was originally treated as a cultivar of Wilson's elm U. wilsonianaSchneid., a species sunk as Ulmus davidiana var. japonica by Fu. A U.S. National Arboretum introduction, it was selected in 1975 from a batch of 1965 seedlings in Delaware, Ohio, and released without patent restrictions in 1990. 'Prospector' proved moderately successful in the US National Elm Trial, averaging a survival rate of 76% overall.

<i>Ulmus</i> Arno Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'Arno' is an Italian hybrid cultivar derived from a crossing of 'Plantyn' with the Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila clone S.2. It was raised by the Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante (IPP) in Florence, and released in 2007. However, 'Arno' was not a commercial success; propagation had ceased by 2010, and it is no longer patent protected.

<i>Ulmus</i> Fiorente Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'Fiorente' is a hybrid cultivar elm derived from a crossing of the Siberian Elm Ulmus pumila clone 'S.10' from Lucca, Italy, with the Ulmus minor clone 'C.02' from Lungarno, Florence, by the Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante (IPP), part of the Italian National Research Council, in Florence. The tree is protected by Plant Breeders' Rights bestowed by the EU on 25 March 2010.

<i>Ulmus minor</i> Ademuz Elm cultivar

The field elm cultivar Ulmus minor 'Ademuz' was cloned by root cuttings from a tree assumed to be growing in or near the eponymous town 100 km north-west of Valencia, Spain. The tree was discovered in 1996 by Margarita Burón of the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Montes, Universidad Politėcnica de Madrid (UPM). 'Ademuz' is one of a number of U. minor clones found to have a very high resistance to Dutch Elm Disease, on a par with, if not greater than, the hybrid cultivar 'Sapporo Autumn Gold' grown as a control. In the Madrid study, the appearance of the tree was rated 4.5 / 5, the most attractive of the seven selected cultivars.

<i>Ulmus minor</i> Dehesa de la Villa Elm cultivar

The Field Elm cultivar Ulmus minor 'Dehesa de la Villa' was cloned by root cuttings from a tree growing in the eponymous park within the Moncloa-Aravaca district of north-west Madrid, by researchers at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Montes, Universidad Politėcnica de Madrid in 1990.

<i>Ulmus</i> Fuente Umbria Elm cultivar

The cultivar Ulmus 'Fuente Umbria' was raised from seed collected in 1995 from an elm resembling Ulmus minor growing in a field at Fuente Umbria west of Valencia, by researchers at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Montes, Universidad Politėcnica de Madrid. 'Fuente Umbria' is one of seven cultivars found to have a very high resistance to Dutch Elm Disease, on a par with, if not greater than, the hybrid cultivar 'Sapporo Autumn Gold'. However, retrospective DNA analysis has revealed that the clone has Ulmus pumila DNA, the species introduced to Spain at the end of the 16th century, and has consequently been dropped from the programme.

<i>Ulmus minor</i> Retiro Elm cultivar

The Field Elm cultivar Ulmus minor 'Retiro' was raised from seed collected in 2002 from a tree growing in the El Retiro park, in the centre of Madrid by researchers at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Montes, Universidad Politėcnica de Madrid.

<i>Ulmus</i> Wingham Elm cultivar

Ulmus 'Wingham' is a complex hybrid elm cultivar featuring two Asiatic and two European species, bestowing it with an exceptionally high resistance to Dutch elm disease (DED). It was raised as clone no. FL493 by the Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante (IPP) in Florence, but never patented owing to its limited aesthetic appeal. It was introduced to the UK in 2011 by David Herling, Resistant Elms, who trialled it successfully at Wingham in Kent. It was later trialled by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Branch, Butterfly Conservation, as part of an assessment of DED-resistant cultivars as potential hosts of the endangered White-letter Hairstreak. 'Wingham' was released for sale in the UK in 2019.

References

  1. ↑ Mittempergher, L.; La Porter, N. (1991). "Hybridization studies in the Eurasian species of elm (Ulmus spp.)". Silvae Genetica. 40: 237–243.
  2. ↑ Fu, L. & Jin J. (eds). (1992). China Red Data Book. Rare and endangered plants. Vol. 1. Science Press, Beijing.
  3. ↑ Fu, L., Xin, Y. & Whittemore, A. (2002). Ulmaceae, in Wu, Z. & Raven, P. (eds) Flora of China, Vol. 5 (Ulmaceae through Basellaceae). Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, US.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Santini, A., Pecori, F., Pepori, A., & Brookes, A. (2011). 'Morfeo' Elm: a new variety resistant to Dutch elm disease. Forest Pathology, April 2012, Vol. 42, Issue 2, 171–176
  5. ↑ Heybroek, H.M. (1993). "The Dutch Elm Breeding Program". In Sticklen, Mariam B.; Sherald, James L. (eds.). Dutch Elm Disease Research. New York, USA: Springer-Verlag. pp. 16–25. ISBN   978-1-4615-6874-2 . Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 Brookes, A. H. (2020). Great Fontley Elm Trial, 2020 Report. Butterfly Conservation, Lulworth, England.
  7. ↑ Santini, A., Pecori, F., Pepori, A. L., Ferrini, F., Ghelardini, L. Genotype × environment interaction and growth stability of several elm clones resistant to Dutch elm disease. Forest Ecology and Management. Elsevier B. V., Netherlands.
  8. ↑ DEFRA. (2018). UK Plant Health Controls
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.