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![](Winged%20Elm%20Leavesrscrbrrs302fm.gif) |
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Winged Elm Leaf Top & Bottom |
Identification:
Identification:
The leaves are alternate,
simple and 1 inches to 3 inches long. They are
darker above than below, and the margin is
asymmetric at the base and
doubly serrate.
Compare the leaf shape
characteristics carefully to that of the Eastern Hophornbeam.
Note the alternate branching on this tree.
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![](../Images/New%20Images/Winged%20Elm%20Bark%20web.jpg) |
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Winged Elm Bark |
The bark of the Winged Elm is
gray-brown, thin and smooth in young trees, with shallow fissures
and long, narrow scaly ridges.
The twigs of the Winged Elm are
gray-brown to red-brown and smooth, with orange
lenticels.
They often have the
corky wings that give this tree its common name.
The leaf scars have three
bundle scars.
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![](../Images/New%20Images/Winged%20Elm%20Buds%20and%20Wings%20web.jpg) |
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Winged Elm Twig and Wings |
The buds are
1/8 inches long, dark chestnut brown, acute and
imbricate.
Other Uses
and Lore:
The wood of this tree is hard, strong and
close-grained. It has been used for table legs and tool handles.
In times past the inner bark was made into a rope for fastening the
covers of cotton bales.
Many songbirds eat the samaras of the winged elm and
nest among its branches. Deer browse the foliage.
Butterflies
that use it as a host plant include the Comma, the Question Mark and
the Mourning Cloak.
The
Trail From Station Nine to Station Ten
![](../Images/New%20Images/59Ferns.jpg) |
Purple
Stemmed Cliff-brake |
From Station
Nine, the trail is trail descends only slightly to Station Ten.
Ferns and mosses add little color to the winter woods along the tree
trail. Look for ferns like the Purple Stemmed Cliff-brake,
shown at right. Station Ten will be on the right side of the
trail where the trail again forks. You will want to take the
right fork, which continues to the river overlook.
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