General Description

Found on the IUCN Red List, the Zelkova abelicea is a deciduous tree that is often found in a shrubby form, due to the overbrowsing caused by local wildlife. The leaves are glossy and it has small flowers and small drupes that tend to be missing from the shrub form. Seeds are not a viable way of reproduction in the wild, instead the plant uses suckers to propagate naturally.

Landscape

Zelkova abelicea has few landscape uses. It is reduced to a shrub form due to overbrowsing and thus can be used as a shrub in the landscape. Zelkova abelicea is also able to be used as a bonsai tree and can be found in a dwarfed form in the Thripti region of Crete.

Cultivation

Zelkova abelicea prefers clay rich, alkaline soils in full sun to partial shade. It tends to prefer more moist soils as drier conditions can be fatal to the plant.

Shape

Upright pyramidal when in tree form, rounded when in shrub form.

Growth

Medium

ID Characteristic

Zelkova abelicea has waxy simple leaves, with small drupes. The tree often has many suckers growing on it due to the overgrazing that occurs in its habitat. The tree variant of Zelkova abelicea has peeling bark. Can be identified in the shrub form, due to the rounded shape and lack of flowers and fruits.

Pests

It faces very few pests and diseases, however overbrowsing is a significant threat to Zelkova abelicea. Overbrowsing affects the growth of the tree, leading it to have its smaller shrub variation. Overbrowsing also stunts the rate of reproduction for the plant, leading to a low seed viability rate. Zelkova abelicea is also being looked at as a possible solution to Dutch elm disease, due to its resistance to the fungi.

Habitat

Zelkova abelicea is found in the open mountain forests on the island of Crete, growing between 800 m and 1800 m height in altitude. It is generally found on the north facing side of mountains, in somewhat moist conditions.

Bark/Stem Description

: In its younger years, the bark has a greyish to brown colour. In the tree form, as it gets older, the bark tends to peel off in thin plate layers revealing a pattern of bright brownish, grey, and dark spots underneath.

Flower/Leaf Bud Description

Zelkova abelicea’s leaf buds are small and cone shaped with a reddish brown colour. The flower buds are red and tear shaped. The flower buds tend to be absent from the shrub form of the tree due to the overbrowsing from local wildlife.

Leaf Description

Zelkova abelicea's leaf is simple with a serrated margin. There is a waxy overcoat present, which helps hold in moisture during drier seasons. The leaves grow in an alternative arrangement. The leaf has pinnate venation, with a main primary vein and 3-6 pairs of secondary veins. Leaves come out in mid-May and fall off in October. There is no noticeable change in the colour during autumn.

Flower Description

: The flowers found on Zelkova abelicea are small and unremarkable. They are white in colour, with hints of red and brown near the base. The flowers are perfect (containing both male and female plant parts) and are generally found in clusters. Flowers are scarcely found on the shrub variation of Zelkova albelicea due to overbrowsing.

Fruit Description

The fruit of Zelkova abelicea are small reddish-green drupes, often around 5 to 6 mm in size. Around 95% of the seeds from the fruit contain no embryo. In the shrub form, the plant rarely produces viable flowers, due to overbrowsing, which leads to the lack of fruit production. This lack of new genetic variation is one of the biggest threats that faces the survival of this species.

Colour Description

The bark is grey on the trunk of the tree, where the newer growth stems have a brown colour. The leaves are green, with a waxy overcoat. There are no noticeable autumn colours as the leaves stay green year from May until October. From a distance, the tree appears reddish brown.

Texture Description

Zelkova abelicea is a medium textured plant, with most of the population having medium finer bark due to the shrub form it takes on. In the older version of the tree variation, the bark begins to peel off, revealing a smooth underside.

Notable Specimens

Specimens of Zelkova albelicea can be found in the Hørsholm Arboretum in Denmark and at Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, in the United Kingdom.

Propagation

Root cuttings are the most popular way to propagate Zelkova abelicea. Root cuttings are taken from the many suckers found and are often taken in late August for the best success rate. Root cuttings tend to have a 50% success rate of re-rooting, however cuttings taken from branches tend to not propagate. Collecting seeds is difficult as 95% of seeds do not produce viable embryos. However, seeds can still be used for propagation. Seeds should be kept between 5 and 10 C for 5 months, switching between light and dark in 12-hour intervals after the initial imbibition. Replanting these cuttings back into the wild is often difficult as the initial growth during this time is weak. Instead, they should be grown in safe conditions until they are able to survive on their own.

Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer)

Due to the placement of Zelkova abelicea on the IUCN Red List, the ethnobotanical uses of this tree have been extremely limited. The plant is mostly used in research studies on the geographic isolation of the Zelkova genus and has also been used in research for preventing Dutch elm disease in the Ulmaceae family (Sondergaard & Egli , 2006). There have been some uses of this tree as a bonsai tree, but that is in the mountainous regions of crete.

Egli, B. (1997). A project for the preservation of Zelkova abelicea (Ulmaceae), a threatened endemic tree species from the mountains of Crete. Bocconea, 5(2), 505-510. https://scholar.google.ca/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=A+project+for+the+preservation+of+Zelkova+abelicea+%28Ulmaceae%29%2C+a+threatened+endemic+tree+species+from+the+mountains+of+Crete+&btnG= Gratzfeld, J., & Garfi, G. (2013). Zelkova – an ancient tree. Global status and conservation action.