Alder
Alder Temporal range:
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Mature Alnus cordata | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fagales |
Family: | Betulaceae |
Subfamily: | Betuloideae |
Genus: | Alnus Mill. |
Type species | |
Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.
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Synonyms[1] | |
Genus synonyms
|
Alders are
Description
With a few exceptions, alders are
The largest species are
Phylogeny
Classification
The genus is divided into three subgenera:
Subgenus Alnus
Trees with stalked shoot buds, male and female catkins produced in autumn (fall) but stay closed over winter, pollinating in late winter or early spring, about 15–25 species, including:
- Alnus acuminata Kunth
- subsp. acuminata Kunth
- subsp. arguta (Schltdl.) Furlow
- subsp. glabrata (Fernald) Furlow
- Alnus cordata (Loisel.) Duby
- Alnus cremastogyne Burkill
- Alnus firma Siebold & Zucc.
- Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.
- subsp. barbata (C.A.Mey.) Yalt.
- subsp. glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.
- subsp. incisa (Willd.) Regel
- subsp. laciniata (Willd.) Regel
- Alnus hirsuta(Spach) Rupr.
- Alnus incana (L.) Moench
- subsp. incana (L.) Moench
- subsp. kolaensis (Orlova) Á.Löve & D.Löve
- subsp. rugosa (Du Roi) R.T.Clausen
- subsp. tenuifolia (Nutt.) Breitung
- Alnus japonica (Thunb.) Steud.
- Alnus jorullensis Kunth
- subsp. lutea Furlow
- subsp. jorullensis Kunth
- Alnus lusitanica Vít, Douda, & Mandák[3]
- Alnus matsumurae Callier
- Alnus nepalensis D.Don
- Alnus oblongifolia Torr.
- Alnus orientalis Decne.
- Alnus rhombifolia Nutt.
- Alnus rohlenae Vít, Douda, & Mandák[3]
- Alnus rubra Bong.
- Alnus serrulata (Aiton) Willd.
- Alnus subcordata C.A.Mey.
- Alnus tenuifoliaNutt.
- Alnus trabeculosa Hand.-Mazz.
Subgenus Clethropsis
Trees or shrubs with stalked shoot buds, male and female catkins produced in autumn (fall) and expanding and pollinating then, three species:
- Alnus formosana (Burkill) Makino
- Alnus maritima (Marshall) Muhl. ex Nutt.
- Alnus nitida (Spach) Endl.
Subgenus Alnobetula
Shrubs with shoot buds not stalked, male and female catkins produced in late spring (after leaves appear) and expanding and pollinating then, one to four species:
- Alnus alnobetula (Ehrh.) K.Koch (synonym-Alnus viridis)
- subsp. alnobetula (Ehrh.) K.Koch
- subsp. crispa (Aiton) Raus
- subsp. fruticosa (Rupr.) Raus
- subsp. sinuata (Regel) Raus
- subsp. suaveolens (Req.) Lambinon & Kerguélen
- Alnus firma Siebold & Zucc.
- Alnus mandshurica (Callier) Hand.-Mazz.
- Alnus maximowiczii Callier
- Alnus pendula Matsum.
- Alnus sieboldiana Matsum.
Not assigned to a subgenus
- Alnus fauriei H.Lév. & Vaniot
- Alnus ferdinandi-coburgii C.K.Schneid.
- Alnus glutipes (Jarm. ex Czerpek) Vorosch.
- Alnus hakkodensis Hayashi
- Alnus henryi C.K.Schneid.
- Alnus lanata Duthie ex Bean
- Alnus mairei H.Lév.
- Alnus paniculata Nakai
- Alnus serrulatoides Callier
- Alnus vermicularis Nakai
Species names with uncertain taxonomic status
The status of the following species is unresolved:[4]
- Alnus balatonialis Borbás
- Alnus cuneata Geyer ex Walp.
- Alnus dimitrovii Jordanov & Kitanov
- Alnus djavanshirii H.Zare – Iran
- Alnus dolichocarpa H.Zare, Amini & Assadi – Iran
- Alnus figerti Callier
- Alnus frangula L. ex Huth
- Alnus gigantea Nakai
- Alnus glandulosa Sarg.
- Alnus henedae Sugim.
- Alnus hybrida Rchb.
- Alnus laciniata Ehrh.
- Alnus lobata Nyman
- Alnus microphylla Arv.-Touv.
- Alnus obtusifolia Mert. ex Regel
- Alnus oxyacantha Lavalle
- Alnus subrotunda Desf.
- Alnus vilmoriana Lebas
- Alnus washingtonia Wetzel
Hybrids
The following hybrids have been described:[4][5]
- Alnus × elliptica Req. (A. cordata × A. glutinosa)
- Alnus × fallacina Callier (A. incana subsp. rugosa × A. serrulata)
- Alnus × hanedae Suyinata (A. firma × A. sieboldiana)
- Alnus × hosoii Mizush. (A. maximowiczii × A. pendula)
- Alnus × mayrii Callier (A. hirsuta × A. japonica)
- Alnus × peculiaris Hiyama (A. firma × A. pendula)
- Alnus × pubescens Tausch. (A. glutinosa × A. incana)
- Alnus × suginoi Sugim.
The status of the following hybrids is unresolved:[4]
- Alnus × aschersoniana Callier
- Alnus × koehnei Callier
- Alnus × ljungeri Murai
- Alnus × purpusii Callier
- Alnus × silesiaca Fiek
- Alnus × spaethii Callier (A. japonica × A. subcordata)
Fossil record
The oldest fossil pollen that can be identified as Alnus is from northern Bohemia, dating to the late Paleocene, around 58 million years ago.[6]
- †Alnus fairi (Knowlton) Wolfe, 1966 - Miocene; Western North America[7]
- †Alnus heterodonta (Newberry) Meyer & Manchester 1987 – Oligocene; Fossil, Oregon
- †Alnus hollandiana Jennings, 1920 - Miocene; Western North America[8]
- †Alnus largei (Knowlton) Wolfe, 1966 - Miocene; Western North America[7]
- †Alnus parvifolia (Berry) Wolfe & Wehr, 1987 - Ypresian; Okanagan Highlands[9]
- †Alnus relatus (Knowlton) Brown, 1937 - Miocene; Western North America[7]
Etymology
The common name alder evolved from the Old English word alor, which in turn is derived from
Ecology
Alders are commonly found near streams, rivers, and wetlands. Sometimes where the prevalence of alders is particularly prominent these are called alder carrs. In the Pacific Northwest of North America, the white alder (Alnus rhombifolia) unlike other northwest alders, has an affinity for warm, dry climates, where it grows along watercourses, such as along the lower Columbia River east of the Cascades and the Snake River, including Hells Canyon.
Alder leaves and sometimes catkins are used as food by numerous butterflies and moths.
A. glutinosa and A. viridis are classed as environmental weeds in New Zealand.[11] Alder leaves and especially the roots are important to the ecosystem because they enrich the soil with nitrogen and other nutrients.
Nitrogen fixation and succession of woodland species
Alder is particularly noted for its important
Because of its abundance, red alder delivers large amounts of nitrogen to enrich forest soils. Red alder stands have been found to supply between 130 and 320 kilograms per hectare (120 and 290 pounds per acre) of nitrogen annually to the soil. From Alaska to Oregon, Alnus viridis subsp. sinuata (A. sinuata, Sitka Alder or Slide Alder), characteristically pioneer fresh, gravelly sites at the foot of retreating glaciers. Studies show that Sitka alder, a more shrubby variety of alder, adds nitrogen to the soil at an average rate of 60 kg/ha (54 lb/acre) per year, helping convert the sterile glacial terrain to soil capable of supporting a conifer forest. Alders are common among the first species to colonize disturbed areas from floods, windstorms, fires, landslides, etc. Alder groves often serve as natural firebreaks since these broad-leaved trees are much less flammable than conifers. Their foliage and
-
Whole root nodule
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Sectioned root nodules
Parasites
Alder roots are parasitized by northern groundcone.
Uses
The catkins of some alder species have a degree of edibility,[12] and may be rich in protein. Reported to have a bitter and unpleasant taste, they are more useful for survival purposes. The wood of certain alder species is often used to smoke various food items such as coffee, salmon, and other seafood.
Alder is notably stable when immersed, and has been used for millennia as a material for pilings for piers and wharves. Most of the pilings that form the foundation of Venice were made from alder trees.[13]
Alder bark contains the anti-inflammatory salicin, which is metabolized into salicylic acid in the body.[14] Some Native American cultures use red alder bark (Alnus rubra) to treat poison oak, insect bites, and skin irritations. Blackfeet Indians have traditionally used an infusion made from the bark of red alder to treat lymphatic disorders and tuberculosis. Recent clinical studies have verified that red alder contains betulin and lupeol, compounds shown to be effective against a variety of tumors.[15]
The inner bark of the alder, as well as
Alder is illustrated in the coat of arms for the Austrian town of Grossarl.
Electric guitars, most notably those manufactured by the
As a hardwood, alder is used in making furniture, cabinets, and other woodworking products. In these applications, its aforementioned lack of prominent grain means that it is often veneered, either by stained light woods such as oak, ash, or figured maple, or by darker woods such as teak or walnut.
Alder bark and wood (like
A red dye can also be extracted from the outer bark, and a yellow dye from the inner bark.[17]
Culture
Ermanno Olmi's movie The Tree of Wooden Clogs (L' Albero Degli Zoccoli, 1978) refers in its title to alder, typically used to make clogs as in this movie's plot.[18][19]
References
- ^ a b "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew". apps.kew.org.
- ^ OCLC 1141235469.
- ^ doi:10.12705/663.4.
- ^ a b c "The Plant List entry for Alnus". The Plant List, v.1.1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Missouri Botanical Garden. September 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ Govaerts R. "Alnus Mill". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- S2CID 91509152.
- ^ doi:10.3133/pp398B.
- HathiTrust Digital Library
- doi:10.3133/b1597.
- ^ a b Harper, Douglas. "alder | Etymology, origin and meaning of alder by etymonline". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-478-14412-3.
- ^ "Plant Search Result, see e.g. Alnus rubra". pfaf.org. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ Nakasako, Eric. "A Look at Venice: Past and Present". Illumin. University of Southern California. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-88240-868-2.
- ISBN 0-87842-359-1.
- ^ Staff (2009). "Bearberry". Discovering Lewis and Clark. The Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation. Archived from the original on 18 December 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ^ "Native Plant Dyes". United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
- ^ PRESSO LA RIVA: L'ONTANO (tr. AT THE SHORE: THE ALDER), December 2015 www.officinadellambiente.com, accessed 17 November 2020
- ^ Ontano nero (tr. Black Alder) accessed 17 November 2020 uomoenatura.it
Further reading
- Chen, Zhiduan; Li, Jianhua (March 2004). "Phylogenetics and Biogeography of Alnus (Betulaceae) Inferred from Sequences of Nuclear Ribosomal DNA ITS Region". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 165 (2): 325–335. S2CID 85579093.