346 BETULACEJE. [Brn I.A. 



1. BET'ULA, Tournef. BlUCH. 



Trees or shrubs. MALE CATKIN. Scales peltate, with 2 bracts, 

 and 3 flowers. Sepals 1-4. Stamens 2, filaments forked, separating the 

 anther-cells. FKMALE. Bracts imbricate, usually 3-lobed, 2-3-flowered : 

 bracteoles 0. Fruit lenticular, winged or margined. DISTRIB. N. temp, 

 and Arctic regions ; species about 25. ETYM. The Lathi name. 



1. B. al'ba, L. ; a tree, leaves Jong-petioled deltoid rhomboid or ovate 

 acute doubly serrate, fruit broadly winged. 



Woods and copses, especially in mountain districts ; ascending to 2,500 ft. in 

 the Highlands ; n. April-May. A short-lived tree, 40-50 rarely 80 ft., 

 trunk -10 in. diam. ; bark flaking, silvery white ; wood whitish ; branches 

 often weeping (B. pendula, Wahlb.). Leaves 1-3 in., sometimes pubescent, 

 rather coriaceous, resinous or glandular when young ; petiole slender ; 

 stipules broad. Male catkin* i-2 in., pendulous ; sepal 1 ; female solitary 

 shorter, suberect. Scales of fruit cuneate, brown, 3-lobed to the middle. 

 Fruit orbicular, wing notched. DISTRIB. Europe (Arctic), N. Asia, N. 

 America (a variety). Bark used in tanning, and yields a fragrant oil ; juice 

 sugary in spring, and a wine is made frtmi it ; wood durable. 



Sub-sp. VERRUCO'SA, Ekr. (sp.); leaves truncate at the base, lateral lobes 

 of fruiting bracts spreading. 



Sub-sp. GLUTINO'SA, Fries (sp.); sometimes bushy, leaves rhomboid-ovate, 

 lateral lobes of fruiting bracts erect. VAR. 1, denuda'ta ; leaves glabrous 

 resinous. VAR. 2, pules cens, leaves and twigs pubescent. 



2. B. na'na, L.; bushy, leaves short-petioled orbicular-crenate, fruit 

 very narrowly winged. 



Mts. of Scotland, but not general ; ascending to 2,700 ft. ; fl. May. Bush 

 1-3 ft. Leaves J-J in., glabrous, dark green. Catkins % the size of those of 

 B. alba. Bracts of fruiting catkins broadly obcuneate, with 3 rounded 

 lobes. DISTRIB. Arctic and Alpine Europe (excl. Spam, Greece, and Turkey), 

 N. Asia, N. America. 



2. ALNUS, Tournef. ALDER. 



Trees or shrubs. MALE CATKIN T . Scales peltate, 3-flowered. Scpah 



and xt.amcns 3-5 ; anthers 2-celled. FEMALE broadly ovoid ; scales fleshy, 



1 3-flowrrt'd, each with 2-3 bracteoles or sepals adnate to the hrart. 



Fruiting catkin woody; fruit compressed, winged or not, 1-celled, 1-seeded. 



DisTRin. Europe, Asia from the Himalaya northwards, N. America, 



Amies, Chili ; species 14. ETYM. The Latin name. 



1 . A. glutino'sa, L. ; leaves obovate- or orbicular-cuneate green on 



both sides, female catkins racemose. 



1 liver-hanks, marshes, &c.; ascending to 1,600ft. in the Highlands ; fl. March- 

 April. A bush or tree, 20-40, very rarely 70 ft.; trunk 1-2 ft. diam.; bark 

 black ; wood white when alive, red when cut, then pale pink. Leaves 

 _' 1 in., shortly petioled, glutinous and hairy when young, sinuate and ser- 

 rulate ; stipules ovate. Calkins appearing before the leaves; male 2-4 in., 

 bracts orbicular, rod ; female -1 in., terminal, racemose, obtuse ; bracts 

 red -brown, woody. Frnit A in., pale, hardly winged. DISTRIB. Europe, 

 N. Africa, W. and N. Asia to Japan. Wood soft, durable. 



