Tree ID, Zelkova carpinifolia??

Last year I bought a raw material starter tree, the advert said Zelkova serrata but when it arrived it was obvious that it was not. For leaf shape see the attached photo, bark is smooth, brown-grey and not shiny.

I have asked around, and searched through my books, and I still don't have a positive ID. The nearest I can come up with is Zelkova carpinifolia, which matches leaves and bark, with Ulmus pumila being a second possibility that only matches on leaf shape.

The leaf on the left is Ulmus parvifolia, the leaf on the right is zelkova serrata. The one in the middle is the one in question.


Chris.

Hello Chris. Have you a pic of the trunk and close up of the bud and branch pattern. The problem with Elm is a huge variation of leaf shape, even in the same variety

hello Will,

Yes, of course... should have done that first off, shouldn't I



Bigger versions on my flickr account:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisguise/4541012905/sizes/l/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisguise/4551516412/sizes/l/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisguise/4551516742/sizes/l/in/photostream/

The twigs are very fine like a Zelkova. Ulmus are generally thicker. My money is on Carpinifolia.

by the pictures of your tree it sure looks like Zelkova carpinafolia to me. I have a number of them and the leaf is quite distinctive from other zelkova's or the elm family. A great tree for bonsai from my perspective and responds to bonsai techniques better than the Japanese Z. serrata in my opinion.

here is a picture of the leaf of some of mine. The size difference is just from ramification. You should also know that one of the best ways to do an immediate dertermination is the way that the leaf terminates on the leaf peitole. In elm, one side of the leaf as it terminates on the peitole will be shorter than the other. In Zelkova both sides of the leaf terminate at the peitole at the same place. Another good way to tell the difference between Z. serrata and Z. carpinafolia is as new growth emerges and begins to grow. Z. serrata will have very red leaves and branches where, Z. carpinafolia only has a tinge of red coloration