juhatuomola's Favorites

In threat of being destroyed due to a parking lot; apparently a spontaneous hybrid between local u. glabra and ornamental u. minor.

Leaves completely bald (also mostly bald from below; could be their age) and smooth unlike U. glabra which feels like sandpaper, branch angles are about 90 degrees while glabra makes more narrow angles. Unsure of leafbud hairiness/baldness due to its wetness at the time of observation, but the colour and shape are like those of u. laevis. Didn't know to check for exact leaf shape, but at least some asymmetry at the base of the leaf is visible on the first photo. The tree is three-trunked and growing on top of old foundation stones, suggesting its origins might be from root stems from a deceased mother clone, if not from a seed. The exact spot of growth has to be quite dry, and U. laevis is a wetland species, which was one of the reasons i was somewhat unsure of the interpretation. The place also indicates it cannot be a planted individual. Considering the spot, the tree is in marvelous condition. The leaves aren't showing any sign of senescence yet, unlike the nearby, clear U. glabra individuals, which are in the middle of dropping their leaves. Originally i took this as a hint towards the locally continental cycle of U. laevis; planted continental species tend to not to go into senescence as early as more coastal species, like the very earliest Fraxinus excelsior as a prime example, but upon closer inspection, hybrid vigor explains it as well.

@kalleruokolainen took a sample of this specimen into the university herbarium for further investigation, and found it to be U. x hollandica.