tree height is 30 - 35 m, sometimes as a shrub (steppe ecotype)
crown is oval, irregular, branches are broom-like upright
bark is smooth, gray-brown, inner bark dark gray to blackish, deeply net-like cracked
root system is heart-shaped
Buds
they are alternatively arranged in two rows, seated
protective scales are dark brown, slightly hairy
leaf traces are diagonal (side) under the buds
leaf buds are conical, protruding from the twig, 4 - 6 x 2 - 3 mm in size
flower buds are globular to blunt-pointed, 5 - 7 mm in size
Shoots
they are cylindrical, thin, light brown, with short hairs, later becoming bare, shiny
sometimes corky strips - wings (var. suberosa) develop more or less distinctly on the shoots and older branches (but also on the trunks)
Leaves (assimilation organs)
they are simple, pinnate, in their basic shape elliptical, widest ± in the middle, 5 -10 x 3 - 5 cm in size
at the end, they are pointed, with an asymmetrical base - one side ends in a wedge, the other in a lobe
the margins are doubly serrated
the upper side is dark green, smooth (it may roughen later)
the underside is lighter and at least in the axils of the veins, hairy
the blade has 7 - 12 pairs of second-order veins, the petiole is 8 - 15 mm long
the leaves are arranged alternately - arranged in one plane
Flowers
it is a dioecious woody plant, flowers are hermaphroditic, grouped in dense clusters on short stems
it blooms in March - April before the leaves unfold, about a week after the wych elm (Ulmus glabra)
Fruits – seeds
the fruit is a round winged achene, 12 - 20 x 9 - 16 mm in size
the achene is shifted to the upper third of the wing!
In its basic shape, it is inverted oval. It ripens in May, germination is low - only 30 to 40% and quickly decreases
Extension
originally in southern and central Europe
in Slovakia, it grows on average from the lowest altitudes up to 650 m above the sea level
its original occurrence has been severely reduced due to graphiosis (a fungal disease spread by bark beetles)
Ecology
it is a semi-shaded woody plant, demanding in nutrient content in the soil, creates two ecotypes:
floodplain – it is a part of the hard floodplain and communities around rivers along with pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), slender ash (Fraxinus excelsior), narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), smooth elm (Ulmus laevis), ...
grassland – found in drying habitats and shallow soils (NPR Devínska Kobyla, Slovakia)
Significance
it does not belong among economically significant - production woods
it provides very high-quality wood with versatile uses (furniture, veneers, ...)
wood is core, structurally belongs among ring-porous woods (like oaks), the core is wide, brown to reddish, the sapwood is narrow light brown-
wood stands out with beautiful grain and coloring; it is hard, strong, suitable for producing luxury solid wood furniture
ameliorative tree
in gardening, various ornamental forms are valued (spotted leaf, ...).
