426 NEW ENGLAND TREES IN WINTER. 



SPECKLED ALDER 



Hoary Alder, Alder. 



Alnus incana (L.) Moench. 



HABIT A small tree, or more frequently a shrub 8-25 ft. high with 

 a trunk diameter generally under 5 inches; generally growing in 

 clumps of several stems. 



BARK Grayish-brown, smooth, with prominent whitish lenticels 

 somewhat elongated horizontally. 



TWIGS Rather slender, more or less zigzag, finely downy, grayish- 

 brown, becoming hoary white toward the tips especially of fruiting 

 twigs. LENTICELS scattered, whitish, conspicuous. PITH dark green, 

 3-cornered. 



LEAF-SCARS Alternate, 2-ranked, or sometimes apparently more 

 than 2-ranked, conspicuous, inversely triangular, raised, light yellowish- 

 brown. STIPULE-SCARS narrow, triangular. BUNDLE-SCARS 3, 

 often compounded. 



BUDS Distinctly stalked, about 8 mm. long, reddish, more or less 

 whitened with fine down, slightly sticky within; terminal buds scarcely 

 larger than laterals. BUD-SCALES 3 scales visible, closely stuck 

 together. 



FRUIT A woody cone-like catkin, 6-12 mm. long, remaining on the 

 plant during winter, often distorted by strap-shaped projections 

 caused by a fungus. Staminate catkins of the coming season pendant 

 at the ends of reflexed branchlets with the young fertile catkins 

 appearing lateral and pointing downward; seed-like nutlets, round, 

 flattened. 



COMPARISONS The Speckled Alder is distinguished from its most 

 common relative, the Smooth Alder [Alnus rugosa (Du Roi) Spreng.], 

 by position of the fertile catkins which in the Smooth Alder are erect 

 and seem to be terminal and in the Speckled Alder point downward and 

 seem to be lateral. These two common species occur throughout New 

 England but intermediate forms are found especially near their north- 

 ern limits. The European Black Alder [Alnus vulgaris Hill.] is some- 

 what planted for ornament in this country and is reported in several 

 localities as escaped from cultivation. In contrast to our native Alders 

 it has an erect, distinctly tree-like habit of growth and reaches in 

 Europe a height of 70 ft. 



DISTRIBUTION Swamps and borders of streams. Newfoundland to 

 Saskatchewan, south to Pennsylvania and Nebraska. 



IN NEW ENGLAND Throughout, more or less common especially 

 toward the north, local in sections toward the south. 



IN CONNECTICUT Local or occasional except in the southeastern 

 part of the state where it is rare. 



WOOD Soft, used as a source of gunpowder charcoal and said to be 

 further valuable because of its durability in water. 



