154 MCNOECIA—POLYANDRIA. Betula. 



Betula. RaiiSyn.US, Trag. Hist.lllS.f. Bauh. Hist.v.l. p.2. 

 149. f. Matth. Valgr. v, 1. 128./. Camer. Epit. 69./. Dod. 

 Pempt. 839./. Ger. Em. 1478./. Lob, Ic. v. 2. 190./. 



iS. B. pendula. Roth Germ. v. 1 . 405. v. 2. p. 2. 476. 



B. verrucosa. Ehrh.Arb.96. PL Off. 328. 



B. pendulis virgulis. Loes.Pruss.26. 



In woods, especially in moist, heathy, or mountainous situations, 

 on a turfy soil over sand, as Ray observes. 



Tree. Jpril, May. 



One of the most hardy of trees, conspicuous in plantations for its 

 white scaly cuticle^ and when old, for the deep black clefts of its 

 bark. The wood is hard, tough, and white. Branches long and 

 slender, especially in old trees j in /3, which is hardly a perma- 

 nent variety, they droop more, and are minutely warty. Leaves 

 ovate, or slightly deltoid, taper-pointed, unequally, or rather 

 doubly, serrated ; a little downy underneath, though not so in 

 /3 ; and assuming a golden colour in autumn. Catkins termi- 

 nal, stalked, pendulous j the fertile ones falling all to pieces 

 when ripe, scattering the numerous winged seeds. 



The branches of this tree make the best brooms. The wood is use- 

 ful for many purposes. Its sap contains much sugar, and fer- 

 ments into a kind of rustic wine, if obtained from wounds in the 

 trunk, before the leaves appear. 



2. B. 7iana, Dwarf Birch. 



Leaves orbicular, crenate, reticulated with veins beneath. 



B. nana. Linn. Sp. PL 1394. Am. Acad. v. l.l.t.l. FL Lapp. 

 ed.2.274.t.6.f.4.Willd.Sp.PLv.4.46D. FLBr.lO\2. EngL 

 BoL v. 33. t. 2326. Light/. ^75. t. 25. Hook. ScoL274. PalL 

 Ross. v.\.p.\. 63. t. 40. f. D, G. FL Dan. t.9\. Dicks. H. 

 Sicc.fasc. 8. 1 5. Ehrh. Arb. 18. Gagnebin Act. Helvet. v. 1.58. 

 Lind. Wiksb. 5. 



B.nanasuecorum. BromeLChLGoth. 11. Linn.Act. Suec.\735, 15. 



B. n. 1629. HalLHisL v. 2. 300. 



B. n. 259. Amm. Ruthen. 180. 



B. palustris pumila, foliis parvis rotundis. Cels. Act. Suec. 1732. 3. 



In spoRgv bogs, in the mountainous parts of Scotland. 



Found by Sir James Nasmyth, Bart, in Tweedale. Huds. In Bread- 

 albane, and Ross-shire j also in the Lowlands. Light/. On Ben 

 Lawers ; Mr. Winch. Hooker. 



Shrub. May. 



Stem bushy, 2 or 3 feet high, with copious branches, slightly downy 

 when young ; beset with numerous, little, round, firm, smooth, 

 sharply crenate leaves, beautifully reticulated with veins, espe- 

 cially beneath, and furnished with short /ootstalks, having a pair 

 of brown lanceolate stipulas at their base. Catkins erect, stalked. 



