slippery elms

Noun

slippery elm (plural slippery elms)

1. A North American elm tree of species Ulmus rubra, with a mucilaginous and slightly aromatic inner bark.
   • Mid-March 2021, at a bowling alley, I watch balls thunder down lanes and wonder if I’ve had a bowel movement since Presidents’ Day. I try: Miralax, Restoralax, magnesium citrate (liquid and powder), […] licorice root, slippery elm, beans, […].2022 October 2, Cara Schacter, “My Year of Stress and Constipation”, in The New York Times

   Synonyms:

   red elm, gray elm, soft elm, moose elm, Indian elm

2. A malvaceous shrub from the Pacific coast of Northern America (Fremontodendron californicum)

   Synonyms:

   California flannelbush, California fremontia, flannel flower