42(3 NEW EXGLAXD TREES IN WINTER, 



SPECKLED ALDER 

 Hoary Alder, Alder. 



Alnus incana (L.) Moench. 



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

 a trunk diameter generally under 5 inches; generally growing in 

 c 1 u m I.I s c f s e \' <:• r a 1 stems. 



BARK — Grayish-brown, smooth, with prominent whitish lenticels 

 somewhat elongated horizontally. 



TAVIGS — Rather slender, more or less zigzag, finely downy, grayish- 

 brown, becoming hoary white toward the tips especially of fruiting 

 twigs. LEXTICELiS — 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- 

 bruwn. STII'ULE-SCARS — narrow, triangular. BUNDLE-SCARS — 3, 

 often compi.iunded. 



Bl"DS — Distinctly stalked, about S mm. lijn.ir. reddisli, more or less 

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

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

 together. 



FRIIT — .V "^voody 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 tlie ends of re flexed branch lets ■with the \"oung fertile catkins 

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

 flattened. 



f03rPARl.S(>XS — The Speckled Alder is distinguished from its most 

 common relative, the Smooth Alder [.4?n;(S ruovsa (Du Roi ) Spreng,], 

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

 and seem to be terminal and in the Speckled Alder point du^vnward 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 se\"eral 

 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. 



DISTRIBl TIOX — Swamps and borders of streams. Newfoundland to 

 Saskatchewan, south to Pennsylvania and Nebraska. 



IN NET\' EN(7LAND — 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. 



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

 further valuable because of its durability in water. 



