Planera


Planera is a genus of flowering plants with a single living species, Planera aquatica, the planertree or water elm. The genus has an extensive fossil record dating back to the Cretaceous and spanning the northern hemisphere, with a few southern hemisphere records as well. The living species is found in the southeastern United States, it is a small deciduous tree tall, closely related to the elms but with a softly, prickly nut diameter, instead of a winged seed. It grows, as the name suggests, on wet sites. Despite its common English name, this species is not a true elm, although it is a close relative of the elms. It is also subject to Dutch elm disease, a disease which affects only members of the Ulmaceae. It is native to most of the southeast United States. It is hardy down to Zone 7.

Species

Fossil species

  • †Planera antiqua
  • †Planera aquaticiformis
  • †Planera australis
  • †Planera chankaensis
  • †Planera crenata
  • †Planera cretacea
  • †Planera dubia
  • †Planera emarginata
  • †Planera ezoana
  • †Planera hebridica
  • †Planera knowltoniana
  • †Planera mullensis
  • †Planera myricifolia
  • †Planera parvula
  • †Planera subkeaki
  • †Planera thompsoniana
  • †Planera ulmifolia
  • †''Planera variabilis''

Species formerly included in ''Planera''

  • †Abelicea ungeri
  • †Cedrelospermum nervosum
  • †Chaetoptelea microphylla
  • †''Fagopsis longifolia''