832 ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETUM BRITANNICUM. 
Genus I. 
ALNUS Tourn, Tue Atper. Lin. Syst. Moncee'cia Tetrandria 
Abyllelle 
Identification. Tourn., t. 359, ; Willd. Sp. Pl., 4. p. 334. ; Hall. Hist., 2. p, 300.; Gertn., t. 90. 
Synony Bétule species Lin. ; Aune, Fr.; Erie, Ger. ; Ontano, Ifal.; Aliso, Span. 
Derivation. From al, near, and dan, the edge of a river, Celtic 3 habitat: from the Hebrew, alon, 
an oak: or, according to others, from alitur amme, it thrives by the river. 
Gen. Char. Barren flowers numerous, -aggregate, in a loose cylindrical catkin 
Caly« a permanent wedge-shaped scale, 3-flowered, with two very minute lateral 
scales. Corolla composed of three equal florets. laments 4, from the 
tube of the corolla. Anthers of two round lobes.— Fertile flowers fewer, 
aggregate, in an oval firm catkin. Calyx a permanent wedge-shaped scale, 
2-flowered. Corolla none. Styles 2. Stigma simple. Nut ovate, without 
wings. (G. Don.) ‘ 
Leaves simple, alternate, stipulate, deciduous ; serrated or entire. Flowers 
terminal, greenish white, appearing earlier than the foliage, in pendulous 
catkins. — Trees deciduous, natives of Europe and North America; rarely 
exceeding the middle size, and some so low as to be considered shrubs. 
With the exception of A, glutindsa lacinidta and A. cordifolia, the species 
are not very ornamental; nor is the timber of great value, except for the 
charcoal which may be made from it. All the species prefer a moist soil, 
or one in the vicinity of water. A. glutindsa ripens seeds freely, as do most 
of the other sorts; but all the latter are generally propagated by layers. De- 
caying leaves dark brown or black, and not very ornamental. 
¥ 1, A. eLuTINO'sa Garin. The glutinous, or common, Alder. 
Identification. Gertn., 2. p. 54.; Eng. Fl., 4. p. 131.3; Hook. Lond., t. 59.; Scot., 271. 
Synonymes. Bétulus A’Inus Lin.; B. emarginata Ehrh. Arb. 9.; A’lnus Haii Syn. 442.; Aune, 
Fr, 3; gemeine Else, or Elser, or schwartz Erle, Ger.; Elsenboom, Dutch; Alno, or Ontano, 
Ital. ; Aliso, or Alamo nigro, Span. 
Engravings. ¥ng. Bot., t. 1508.; Hunt. Evel. Syl:, 240. f.; the plate of this species in Arb. Brit., 
ist edit., vol. vii. ; and our fig. 1514. 
Spec. Char., §c. Leaves roundish, wedge-shaped, wavy, serrated, glutinous, 
rather abrupt ; downy at the branching of the veins beneath. (Smith.) A 
deciduous tree. Europe, from Lapland to Gibraltar ; and Asia, from the 
White Sea to Mount Caucasus ; and also the North of Africa. Height 
30 ft. to 60 ft. Flowers brownish; March and April. Fruit brown; ripe 
in October. Decaying leaves brownish black, or almost black. 
Varieties. 
% A. g. 2 emargindta Willd. Baum. p. 19, — Leaves nearly round, 
wedge-shaped, and edged with light green. 
¥ A. g. 3 lacinidta Ait., Willd. 1. c., Lodd. 
Cat. ed. 1836. A. g. incisa Hort. (The 
plate of a fine tree at Syon, in Ard. Brit., 
Ist edit., vol. vii. ; and our fig. 1512.) — 
Leaves oblong and pinnatifid, with the 
lobes acute. Wild in the north of France, “ 
particularly in Normandy, and in the woods 
of Montmorency near Paris. 
A. g. 4 quercifolia Willd. 1. c.— Leaves 
sinuated, with the lobes obtuse. 
A. g. 5 oxyacanthefolia. A. oxyacanthe- 
folia Lodd. Cat. ed. 1836. (Our jig. 
1513.) — Leaves sinuated and lobed ; <3 ANE 
smaller than those of the preceding va- = Ay | b ais 
riety, and somewhat resembling those of 4 8 AN 
the common hawthorn. 
1512, A. g. laciniata, 
