II. 



CUPULIFER^. 



BETULE^. 



THE ALDER. 



ALNUS. 



A. glutinosa, the common alder, is our most 

 aquatic tree. It is not considered so attractive 

 as the willow — the foliage is heavier, but it forms 

 a pleasant contrast with it, and its association 

 with our rivers and brooks has made it an almost 

 necessar)' adjunct to their borders. In the Odyssey 

 we read : — 



"In living rills a gushing fountain broke 

 Around it and above, for ever green 

 The bushy alder formed a shady screen." 



Its botanical name is derived from the Celtic 

 words, al, near, and Ian, the edge of a river. 



The leaves are rounded at the top, wedge- 

 shaped at the base, slightly lobed, of a dark 

 green on the upper surface but paler beneath, 

 and glutinous in the young stage. From this 

 the tree takes its specific name, glutinosa. The 

 leaves expand in May and are retained until late 

 in the season. The male catkins appear in the 



