186 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Betula continued. 



many others ; consequently it is invaluable for skirting and 

 nursing more tender subjects, and is especially desirable for 

 clothing mountainous and exposed districts. It is also very 

 beautiful and picturesque. It is the commonest tree 

 throughout Russia, from the Baltic to the Eastern Sea, fre- 

 quently monopolising gigantic forests. In Italy, it forms 

 excellent forests up to 6000ft. altitude, and in our own 

 Highlands of Scotland it occurs up to a height of 2500ft. 

 In Greenland, although much reduced in size, it holds its 

 own as the only arboreal vegetation. 



Fio. 249. LEAVES AND CATKIN OF BETULA ALBA. 



B. alba (white).* Silver, White, or Common Birch. Jl. whitish. 

 February and March, fr. brown, ripe in September and October. 

 I. ovate, acute, somewhat deltoid, unequally serrated ; autumnal 

 tints rich yellow, scarlet, or red. A diminutive shrub in the 

 extreme north, but a tree from 50ft. to 60ft. high in the middle 

 regions. Britain. A most beautiful and invaluable forest tree, 

 with a large number of varieties. See Fig. 249. 



B. a. alba-purpurea (white and purple).* I. rich purple above, 

 with a lustrous metallic hue, pale beneath. Branches with a 



^sub-pendulous disposition. A very effective variety. 



dalecarlica (Dalecarlian).* I. deeply pinnatifid, with the 



. a. foliis-variogatis (variegated-leaved).' 

 yellowish white. 



1. blotched with 



B. a. laciniata 



la 



rather 



n, and 



this, but 



pendula (pendulous and laciniate).* I. 

 rger than the typical form, deeply laciniated, deep gree 

 decidedly pendulous. It appears there are two forms of th 

 that known as Young's variety is the best. 

 B. a. macrocarpa (large-fruited).* Female catkins twice as long 



as those of the type. 



B. a. pendula (pendulous).* A well-known tree, distinct from 

 the species in having the shoots more slender, smoother, and 

 pendulous. 



J. a. pontica (pontic). 1. somewhat larger than 

 and the plant of more robust growth. (W. D. B. 2, 94.) 



the species, 



B. a. pubesoens (downy). 1. covered with hairs. 



B. a. urttolfolla (nettle-leaved).* 1. deeply laciniated, serrated, 



and hairy. Several others, reputed as distinct, are mere forms 



of the typical B. alba. 

 B. Bhojpattra (Bhojpattra).* Jl., female catkins erect, cylin- 



dncal, oblong; bracts smooth, woody, two-parted, blunt, much 



Betula continued. 



longer than the fruit, which has narrow wings. May. 1. oblong- 

 acute, with nearly simple serratures, somewhat cordate at the 

 base ; their stalks, veins, and twigs hairy ; the bark is of a pale 

 cinnamon colour. A. 50ft Himalayas, 1840. This requires a 

 sheltered position. 



B. oarplnifolia (Hornbeam-leaved). Synonymous with B. lenta. 



B. daurlca (Daurian).* /L, catkins whitish-brown, larger than 

 those of the common Birch. February and March. L ovate, narrow 

 at the base, quite entire, unequally dentate, glabrous ; scales of 

 the strobiles ciliated on their margins ; side lobes roundish, h. 

 30ft. to 40ft. Siberia, 1786. The variety parvifolia has smaller 

 leaves than the type. 



B. oxcelsa (tall). Synonymous with B. lutea. 



B. fruticosa (shrubby).* Jl. whitish-brown ; female catkins oblong. 

 February and March. I. roundish-ovate, nearly equally serrated, 

 glabrous. A. 5ft. to 6ft. in moist situations, but much higher on 

 mountains. Eastern Siberia, 1818. (W. D. B. 2, 154.) 



B. glandnlosa (glandular).* jl whitish ; female catkins oblong. 

 May. L obovate, serrate, quite entire at the base, glabrous, 

 almost sessile ; branches beset with glandular dots, glabrous. 

 A. 2ft. Canada, 1816. A handsome little shrub. (F. D. 2583.) 



B. lenta (pliant). JL greenish-white. May to June. I. cordate, 

 ovate, acutely serrated, acuminate ; petioles and nerves hairy 

 beneath ; scales of the strobiles smooth, having the side lobes 

 obtuse, equal, with prominent veins. A. 60ft. to 70ft. Canada to 

 Georgia, 1759. SYN. B. carpinifolia. (W. D. B. 2, 144.) 



B. lutea (yellow).* Jl. greenish-white. May. 1. 3iin. long, and 

 2iin. broad, ovate, acute, serrated ; petioles pubescent, snorter 

 than the peduncles ; young shoots and leaves, at their unfolding, 

 downy, but ultimately quite glabrous, except the petiole, which 

 remains covered with fine short hairs ; scales of the strobile* 

 having the side lobes roundish. A. 70ft. to 80ft. Nova Scotia, 

 1767. SYN. B. exceUa. 



B. nana (dwarf).* Jl. whitish-green ; catkins erect, stalked, cylin. 

 drical, obtuse ; the barren ones lateral, and the fertile ones ter- 

 minal ; scales of the latter three-lobed, three-flowered, permanent. 

 April and May. /. orbicular, crenate, reticulated with veins be- 

 neath. A. 1ft. to 3ft. Scotland, Lapland, Sweden, Russia, &c. A 

 shrub with numerous branches, slightly downy when young, and 

 beset with numerous little, round, firm, smooth, sharply crenated 

 leaves, beautifully reticulated with veins, especially beneath ; and 

 furnished with short footstalks, having a pair of brown lanceolate 

 stipules at their base. There is also a pretty variety named 

 pendula, with drooping branches. 



B. nigra (black).* The Black Birch. Jl. greenish-white ; female 

 catkins straight, and nearly cylindrical, about 2in. long. May. 

 I. rhomboid-ovate, doubly serrated, acute, pubescent beneath, 

 entire at the base; scales of the strobiles villose; segments 

 linear, equal. A. 60ft. to 70ft. New Jersey to Carolina, 1736. 

 SYN. S. rubra. (W. D. B. 2, 153.) 



B. papyraooa (papery).* jl. greenish-white ; female catkins on 

 long footstalks, drooping; scales having the side lobes short, 

 somewhat orbiculate. May to June. I. ovate, acuminate, doubly 

 serrate ; veins hairy beneath ; petiole glabrous ; the branches are 

 much less flexible than those of the common Birch, and are more 

 ascending. A. 60ft. to 70ft. North America, 1750. (\V. D. B. 2, 

 152.) 



B. p. fusoa (brown). L smaller than those of the type, and leas 

 downy. 



B. p. platyphylla (broad-leaved).* L very broad. 



B. p. trichoclada (hairy-branched).* I. cordate. Branches ex- 

 tremely hairy, and twigs in threes. 



B. popullfolia (Poplar-leaved).* Jl. greenish-white. April, May. 

 I. deltoid, much acuminated, unequally serrated, quite smooth ; 

 scales of the strobiles having roundish side lobes ; petioles gla- 

 brous. A. 30ft. Canada, 1750. This species, although very 

 closely resembling 11. alba, grows with less vigour, and does not 

 attain so large a size. (W. D. B. 2, 151.) 



B. p. laciniata (laciniated).* L large, shining, and deeply cut. 



B. p. pendula (pendulous).* Spray drooping, like that of B. 

 alba pendula. 



B. puraila (dwarf)-* Jl. whitish ; female catkins cylindrical. May 

 and June. I. roundish ovate, on long footstalks, densely clothed 

 with hairs on the under surface. Branches pubescent, dotless. 

 A. 2ft to 3ft. Canada, 1762. A very beautiful kind, suitable for 

 furnishing large rockeries, or planting on hill sides, or rocky 

 ground. (W. D. B. 2, 97.) 



B. rubra (red).* Synonymous with B. nigra,. 



BETULE2E. A tribe of deciduous shrubs or trees. 



Perianth none, or bract-like ; flowers monoecious, in catkins, 



in twos or threes. Fruit, a dry, compressed, lenticular, 



often winged, indehiscent nut. Leaves alternate, simple, 



stipulated. The genera are Alnus and Betula. 

 BI. In compound words, this signifies twice. 

 BIANCEA SCANDENS. See Cawalpinia sepi- 



aria. 



