Crossword Genius

Man returned, chopping a tree (3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

elm

'tree' is the definition.
(elm tree is a kind of tree)

'man returned chopping a' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite understand how this works, but
'man' could be 'm' and 'm' is present in the answer.
The remaining letters 'el' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

(Other definitions for elm that I've seen before include "Source of timber" , "Perennial plant" , "I branch out" , "Tall shade tree" , "Source of wood" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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