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Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of
monoecious Monoecy (; adj. monoecious ) is a sexual system in seed plants where separate male and female cones or flowers are present on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system alongside gynomonoecy, andromonoecy and trimonoecy. Monoecy is conne ...
trees and
shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
s, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few species extending into Central America, as well as the northern and southern Andes.


Description

With a few exceptions, alders are deciduous, and the leaves are alternate, simple, and serrated. The flowers are
catkin A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster (a spike), with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated (anemophilous) but sometimes insect-pollinated (as in ''Salix''). They contain many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged cl ...
s with elongate male catkins on the same plant as shorter female catkins, often before leaves appear; they are mainly wind-pollinated, but also visited by bees to a small extent. These trees differ from the birches (''Betula'', another genus in the family) in that the female catkins are woody and do not disintegrate at maturity, opening to release the seeds in a similar manner to many conifer cones. The largest species are red alder (''A. rubra'') on the west coast of North America, and black alder (''A. glutinosa''),
native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...
to most of Europe and widely introduced elsewhere, both reaching over . By contrast, the widespread '' Alnus alnobetula'' (green alder) is rarely more than a shrub.


Taxonomy


Classification

The genus is divided into three subgenera:


Subgenus ''Alnus''

Trees with stalked shoot buds, male and female catkins produced in autumn (fall) but stay closed over winter, pollinating in late winter or early spring, about 15–25 species, including: * '' Alnus acuminata'' Kunth – Andean alder, aliso. Mexico, Central and South America. ** subsp. ''acuminata'' Kunth ** subsp. ''arguta'' (Schltdl.) Furlow ** subsp. ''glabrata'' (Fernald) Furlow * '' Alnus cordata'' (Loisel.) Duby – Italian alder. Italy, Corsica. * '' Alnus cremastogyne'' Burkill – China. * '' Alnus firma'' Siebold & Zucc.
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Island in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
* '' Alnus glutinosa'' (L.) Gaertn. – black alder. Europe, Central Asia. ** subsp. ''barbata'' (C.A.Mey.) Yalt. ** subsp. ''glutinosa'' (L.) Gaertn. ** subsp. ''incisa'' (Willd.) Regel ** subsp. ''laciniata'' (Willd.) Regel * ''
Alnus hirsuta ''Alnus incana'', the grey alder or speckled alder, is a species of multi-stemmed, shrubby tree in the birch family, with a wide range across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Tolerant of wetter soils, it can slowly spread with runners ...
'' (Spach) Rupr. – Manchurian alder. Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Siberia, Russian Far East * '' Alnus incana'' (L.) Moench ** subsp. ''incana'' (L.) Moench – speckled alder or grey alder. Eurasia, North America ** subsp. ''kolaensis'' (Orlova) Á.Löve & D.Löve ** subsp. ''rugosa'' (Du Roi) R.T.Clausen ** subsp. ''tenuifolia'' (Nutt.) Breitung * ''
Alnus japonica ''Alnus japonica'', known as Japanese alder, is a species of Alnus Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a larg ...
'' (Thunb.) Steud. – Japanese alder, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, eastern China, Russian Far East * ''
Alnus jorullensis ''Alnus jorullensis'', commonly known as Mexican alder, is an evergreen or semi-evergreen alder, native to eastern and southern Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. Although previously reported from the Andes, further collections showed these to be th ...
'' Kunth – Mexican alder. Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras. ** subsp. ''lutea'' Furlow ** subsp. ''jorullensis'' Kunth * ''
Alnus lusitanica Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few spec ...
'' Vít, Douda, & Mandák - Spain, Portugal, Morocco * ''
Alnus matsumurae Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few spec ...
'' Callier
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Island in Japan * '' Alnus nepalensis'' D.Don – Nepalese alder. Himalayas, Tibet, Yunnan, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand. * '' Alnus oblongifolia'' Torr. – Arizona alder. Arizona, New Mexico, Sonora, Chihuahua * '' Alnus orientalis'' Decne. – Oriental alder. Southern Turkey, northwest Syria, Cyprus, Lebanon, Iran * '' Alnus rhombifolia'' Nutt. – white alder. California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana * ''
Alnus rohlenae Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...
'' Vít, Douda, & Mandák - Western Balkans * '' Alnus rubra'' Bong. – red alder. Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana. * '' Alnus serrulata'' (Aiton) Willd. – hazel alder, tag alder or smooth alder. Eastern North America * ''
Alnus subcordata ''Alnus subcordata'', the Caucasian alder, is a species in the family Betulaceae, native to Hyrcanian forests of Iran and the Caucasus. It is closely related to the Italian alder (''A. cordata'') and ''Alnus orientalis''. It is a deciduous tree ...
'' C.A.Mey. – Caucasian alder. Caucasus, Iran * ''
Alnus tenuifolia ''Alnus incana'', the grey alder or speckled alder, is a species of multi-stemmed, shrubby tree in the birch family, with a wide range across the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Tolerant of wetter soils, it can slowly spread with runners ...
'' Nutt. – thinleaf or mountain alder. Northwestern North America * ''
Alnus trabeculosa Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few spec ...
'' Hand.-Mazz. – China, Japan


Subgenus ''Clethropsis''

Trees or shrubs with stalked shoot buds, male and female catkins produced in autumn (fall) and expanding and pollinating then, three species: * ''
Alnus formosana ''Alnus formosana'', the Formosan alder, is a species of alder endemic to Taiwan. It is a medium-sized tree, up to in height and in trunk diameter. Description The formosan alder is a trees up to 20 meters in height with dark gray-brown bark ...
'' (Burkill) Makino – Formosan alder. Taiwan * ''
Alnus maritima ''Alnus maritima'', the seaside alder or brook alder, is a species of shrub or small tree in the family Betulaceae. ''Alnus maritima'' is endemic to the United States, and is found naturally in three disjunct populations in Oklahoma, Georgia, a ...
'' (Marshall) Muhl. ex Nutt. – seaside alder. United States (Georgia, Delaware, Maryland, Oklahoma). * ''
Alnus nitida ''Alnus nitida'', the west Himalayan alder, is a species in the genus ''Alnus'', native to Pakistan, the western Himalayas, and Nepal. It is a tree reaching 20 to 25m, preferring to live along the banks of rivers. It is used locally for timber an ...
'' (Spach) Endl. – Himalayan alder. Western Himalaya, Pakistan, India, Nepal.


Subgenus ''Alnobetula''

Shrubs with shoot buds not stalked, male and female catkins produced in late spring (after leaves appear) and expanding and pollinating then, one to four species: * '' Alnus alnobetula'' (Ehrh.) K.Koch ** subsp. ''alnobetula'' (Ehrh.) K.Koch ** subsp. ''crispa'' (Aiton) Raus ** subsp. ''fruticosa'' (Rupr.) Raus ** subsp. ''sinuata'' (Regel) Raus ** subsp. ''suaveolens'' (Req.) Lambinon & Kerguélen * '' Alnus firma'' Siebold & Zucc. -
Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...
(Japan) * ''
Alnus mandshurica ''Alnus mandshurica'' is a species of Alnus Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed t ...
'' (Callier) Hand.-Mazz.Russian Far East, northeastern
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, Korea * ''
Alnus maximowiczii ''Alnus maximowiczii'', commonly known as montane alder, is a species of alder tree native to Japan, Korea, and the Russian Far East (Sakhalin, Primorye, Khabarovsk, Kuril Islands The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands (; rus, Кури́льск ...
'' Callier – Japan, Korea, Russian Far East * ''
Alnus pendula Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...
'' Matsum. - Honshu and Hokkaido (Japan) * ''
Alnus sieboldiana ''Alnus sieboldiana'' (オオバヤシャブシ in Japanese) is an alder species found on the islands of Honshū, Shikoku, and Suwanose-jima in Japan. ''A. sieboldiana'' contains the ellagitannins alnusiin, tellimagrandin I, pedunculagin, ...
'' Matsum. - Honshu, Shikoku, and
Suwanose-jima is one of the Tokara Islands, belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture. The island covers 27.66 km² in area and has a population of 48 people. Although the island has an airport, there are no regularly scheduled services, and access is normally ...
(Japan)


Not assigned to a subgenus

* '' Alnus fauriei'' H.Lév. & Vaniot – Honshu Island in Japan * ''
Alnus ferdinandi-coburgii Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few spec ...
'' C.K.Schneid. – southern China * ''
Alnus glutipes Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few spec ...
'' (Jarm. ex Czerpek) Vorosch. * ''
Alnus hakkodensis Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the Temperate climate, north temperate z ...
'' Hayashi – Honshu Island in Japan * ''
Alnus henryi Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...
'' C.K.Schneid. – Taiwan * ''
Alnus lanata Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the Temperate climate, north temperate z ...
'' Duthie ex Bean – Sichuan Province in China * ''
Alnus mairei Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few spec ...
'' H.Lév. – Yunnan Province in China * ''
Alnus paniculata Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few spec ...
'' Nakai – Korea * ''
Alnus serrulatoides Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the Temperate climate, north temperate z ...
'' Callier – Japan * ''
Alnus vermicularis Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the Temperate climate, north temperate z ...
'' Nakai – Korea


Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species is unresolved: * ''Alnus balatonialis'' Borbás * ''Alnus cuneata'' Geyer ex Walp. * ''Alnus dimitrovii'' Jordanov & Kitanov * ''Alnus djavanshirii'' H.Zare – Iran * ''Alnus dolichocarpa'' H.Zare, Amini & Assadi – Iran * ''Alnus figerti'' Callier * ''Alnus frangula'' L. ex Huth * ''Alnus gigantea'' Nakai * ''Alnus glandulosa'' Sarg. * ''Alnus henedae'' Sugim. * ''Alnus hybrida'' Rchb. * ''Alnus laciniata'' Ehrh. * ''Alnus lobata'' Nyman * ''Alnus microphylla'' Arv.-Touv. * ''Alnus obtusifolia'' Mert. ex Regel * ''Alnus oxyacantha'' Lavalle * ''Alnus subrotunda'' Desf. * ''Alnus vilmoriana'' Lebas * ''Alnus washingtonia'' Wetzel


Hybrids

The following hybrids have been described: * ''
Alnus × elliptica Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few spec ...
'' Req.—Italy. (''A. cordata'' × ''A. glutinosa'') * ''
Alnus × fallacina Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few spec ...
'' Callier—Ohio, New York State, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine. (''A. incana'' subsp. ''rugosa'' × ''A. serrulata'') * ''
Alnus × hanedae Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the Temperate climate, north temperate z ...
'' Suyinata—Japan. (''A. firma'' × ''A. sieboldiana'') * '' Alnus × hosoii'' Mizush.—Japan. (''A. maximowiczii'' × ''A. pendula'') * ''
Alnus × mayrii Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few spec ...
'' Callier—Russian Far East, Japan. (''A. hirsuta'' × ''A. japonica'') * ''
Alnus × peculiaris Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...
'' Hiyama—
Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...
Island in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. (''A. firma'' × ''A. pendula'') * ''
Alnus × pubescens Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few spec ...
'' Tausch.—Northern and central Europe. (''A. glutinosa'' × ''A. incana'') * ''
Alnus × suginoi Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the Temperate climate, north temperate z ...
'' Sugim.—Japan. The status of the following hybrids is unresolved: * ''Alnus'' × ''aschersoniana'' Callier * ''Alnus'' × ''koehnei'' Callier * ''Alnus'' × ''ljungeri'' Murai * ''Alnus'' × ''purpusii'' Callier * ''Alnus'' × ''silesiaca'' Fiek * ''Alnus'' × ''spaethii'' Callier (''A. japonica'' × ''A. subcordata'')


Fossils

*
A dagger, obelisk, or obelus is a typographical mark that usually indicates a footnote if an asterisk has already been used. The symbol is also used to indicate death (of people) or extinction (of species). It is one of the modern descendan ...
''
Alnus heterodonta ''Alnus heterodonta'' is an extinct species of alder from the early Oligocene Bridge Creek floras of Central Oregon References Oligocene plants heterodonta Heteroconchia is a taxonomic infraclass of saltwater clams, marine bivalve mo ...
'' (Newberry) Meyer & Manchester 1987 – Oligocene fossil, Oregon


Phylogeny

The oldest fossil pollen that can be identified as ''Alnus'' is from northern
Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
, dating to the late Paleocene, around 58 million years ago.


Etymology

The common name ''alder'' evolved from the Old English word ''alor'', which in turn is derived from Proto-Germanic root ''aliso''. The generic name ''Alnus'' is the equivalent Latin name, from whence French ''aulne'' and Spanish ''Alamo'' (Spanish term for " poplar").


Ecology

Alders are commonly found near streams, rivers, and wetlands. Sometimes where the prevalence of alders is particularly prominent these are called alder carrs. In the Pacific Northwest of North America, the white alder (''Alnus rhombifolia'') unlike other northwest alders, has an affinity for warm, dry climates, where it grows along watercourses, such as along the lower
Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...
east of the Cascades and the Snake River, including Hells Canyon. Alder leaves and sometimes catkins are used as food by numerous butterflies and moths. ''A. glutinosa'' and ''A. viridis'' are classed as environmental weeds in New Zealand. Alder leaves and especially the roots are important to the ecosystem because they enrich the soil with nitrogen and other nutrients.


Nitrogen fixation and succession of woodland species

Alder is particularly noted for its important
symbiotic Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...
relationship with ''
Frankia alni ''Frankia alni'' is a Gram-positive species of actinomycete filamentous bacterium that lives in symbiosis with actinorhizal plants in the genus ''Alnus''. It is a nitrogen-fixing bacterium and forms nodules on the roots of alder trees. Distrib ...
'', an actinomycete,
filamentous The word filament, which is descended from Latin ''filum'' meaning " thread", is used in English for a variety of thread-like structures, including: Astronomy * Galaxy filament, the largest known cosmic structures in the universe * Solar filament ...
, nitrogen-fixing bacterium. This bacterium is found in
root nodule Root nodules are found on the roots of plants, primarily legumes, that form a symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Under nitrogen-limiting conditions, capable plants form a symbiotic relationship with a host-specific strain of bacteria known a ...
s, which may be as large as a human fist, with many small lobes, and light brown in colour. The bacterium absorbs nitrogen from the air and makes it available to the tree. Alder, in turn, provides the bacterium with
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
s, which it produces through photosynthesis. As a result of this mutually beneficial relationship, alder improves the fertility of the soil where it grows, and as a pioneer species, it helps provide additional nitrogen for the successional species to follow. Because of its abundance, red alder delivers large amounts of nitrogen to enrich forest soils. Red alder stands have been found to supply between of nitrogen annually to the soil. From Alaska to Oregon, ''Alnus viridis'' subsp. ''sinuata'' (''A. sinuata'', Sitka Alder or Slide Alder), characteristically pioneer fresh, gravelly sites at the foot of retreating glaciers. Studies show that Sitka alder, a more shrubby variety of alder, adds nitrogen to the soil at an average rate of per year, helping convert the sterile glacial terrain to soil capable of supporting a conifer forest. Alders are common among the first species to colonize disturbed areas from floods, windstorms, fires, landslides, etc. Alder groves often serve as natural firebreaks since these broad-leaved trees are much less flammable than conifers. Their foliage and leaf litter does not carry a fire well, and their thin bark is sufficiently resistant to protect them from light surface fires. In addition, the light weight of alder seedsnumbering allows for easy dispersal by the wind. Although it outgrows
coastal Douglas-fir ''Pseudotsuga menziesii'' var. ''menziesii'', commonly known as Coast Douglas-fir, Pacific Douglas-fir, Oregon pine, or Douglas spruce, is an evergreen conifer native to western North America from west-central British Columbia, Canada southward t ...
for the first 25 years, it is very shade intolerant and seldom lives more than 100 years. Red alder is the Pacific Northwest's largest alder and the most plentiful and commercially important broad-leaved tree in the coastal Northwest. Groves of red alder in diameter intermingle with young Douglas-fir forests west of the Cascades, attaining a maximum height of in about sixty years and then are afflicted by heart rot. Alders largely help create conditions favorable for giant conifers that replace them. An alder root nodule gall.JPG, alt=An alder root nodule, Whole root nodule A sectioned alder root nodule gall.JPG, alt=A sectioned alder root nodule, Sectioned root nodules


Parasites

Alder roots are parasitized by northern groundcone.


Uses

The catkins of some alder species have a degree of edibility, and may be rich in protein. Reported to have a bitter and unpleasant taste, they are more useful for survival purposes. The wood of certain alder species is often used to smoke various food items such as coffee, salmon, and other seafood. Most of the pilings that form the foundation of
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
were made from alder trees. Alder bark contains the anti-inflammatory
salicin Salicin is an alcoholic β-glucoside. Salicin is produced in (and named after) willow (''Salix'') bark. It is a biosynthetic precursor to salicylaldehyde. Medicinal aspects Salicin is found in the bark of and leaves of willows, poplars and va ...
, which is metabolized into
salicylic acid Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4CO2H. A colorless, bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a metabolite of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). It is a plant hormone, and has been listed by the EPA Toxic Substance ...
in the body. Some Native American cultures use red alder bark ('' Alnus rubra'') to treat poison oak, insect bites, and skin irritations. Blackfeet Indians have traditionally used an infusion made from the bark of red alder to treat lymphatic disorders and tuberculosis. Recent clinical studies have verified that red alder contains
betulin Betulin is an abundant, naturally occurring triterpene. It is commonly isolated from the bark of birch trees. It forms up to 30% of the dry weight of silver birch bark. It is also found in birch sap. '' Inonotus obliquus'' and red alder also co ...
and lupeol, compounds shown to be effective against a variety of tumors. The inner bark of the alder, as well as red osier dogwood, or
chokecherry ''Prunus virginiana'', commonly called bitter-berry, chokecherry, Virginia bird cherry, and western chokecherry (also black chokecherry for ''P. virginiana'' var. ''demissa''), is a species of bird cherry (''Prunus'' subgenus ''Padus'') nat ...
, is used by some Indigenous peoples of the Americas in smoking mixtures, known as ''kinnikinnick'', to improve the taste of the bearberry leaf. Alder is illustrated in the coat of arms for the Austrian town of
Grossarl Grossarl (Großarl) is a market town in the St. Johann im Pongau district in the state of Salzburg in western central Austria. The valley Grossarltal got its name from Grossarl. Geography Location The market town is located in the Grossarl V ...
. Electric guitars, most notably those manufactured by the
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC, or simply Fender) is an American manufacturer of instruments and amplifiers. Fender produces acoustic guitars, bass amplifiers and public address equipment, however it is best known for its ...
, have been built with alder bodies since the 1950s. Alder is appreciated for its tone that is claimed to be tight and evenly balanced, especially when compared to mahogany, and has been adopted by many electric guitar manufacturers. As a
hardwood Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...
, alder is used in making furniture, cabinets, and other woodworking products. Alder bark and wood (like oak and sweet chestnut) contain tannin and are traditionally used to tan leather. A red dye can also be extracted from the outer bark, and a yellow dye from the inner bark.


Culture

Ermanno Olmi Ermanno Olmi (24 July 1931 – 7 May 2018)Lane, John Francis (May 7, 2018).Ermanno Olmi obituary. ''The Guardian''. theguardian.com. Retrieved 11 May 2018. was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Biography Olmi was born to a Catholic ...
's movie ''
The Tree of Wooden Clogs ''The Tree of Wooden Clogs'' () is a 1978 Italian film written and directed by Ermanno Olmi. The film concerns Lombard peasant life in a '' cascina'' (farmhouse) of the late 19th century. It has some similarities with the earlier Italian neor ...
'' (''L' Albero Degli Zoccoli,'' 1978) refers in its title to alder, typically used to make clogs as in this movie's plot.Ontano nero
(''tr. Black Alder'') accessed 17 November 2020 ''uomoenatura.it''


References


Further reading

*


External links


Flora Europaea: ''Alnus''

Flora of Bolivia: ''Alnus''

Flora of China: ''Alnus''

Flora of North America: ''Alnus''

Flora of Pakistan: ''Alnus''
{{Authority control Taxa named by Philip Miller