Planera is a genus of flowering plants with a single living species, Planera aquatica,[1] the planertree[2] 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.[3] The living species is found in the southeastern United States, it is a small deciduous tree 10–15 m (390–590 in) tall, closely related to the elms but with a softly, prickly nut 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) 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 (species of the genus Ulmus). 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.[4]

Planera
Planera aquatica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Ulmaceae
Genus: Planera
J.F.Gmel.
Species

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Species

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Fossil species

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Species formerly included in Planera

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References

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  1. ^ "Search results for Planera". The Plant List. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  2. ^ NRCS. "Planera aquatica". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  3. ^ "Planera". The International Fossil Plant Names Index. Retrieved 8 Feb 2023.
  4. ^ "Water Elm Ulmaceae Planera aquatica J.F. Gmel". Virginia Tech Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation. Retrieved December 15, 2014.