green alder
Betulaceae (Birch family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC
Species Information
General:
Deciduous shrub or tree, 1-5 m tall; pointed axillary buds without stalks; bark scaly, sometimes lichen-covered, yellowish-brown or grey.
Leaves:
Alternate, deciduous, smooth, finely toothed 1-2 times, oval with pointed tips, 4-10 cm long, brownish in the fall.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of male and female catkins which open at the same time as the leaves on current year's growth; male catkins unstalked.
Fruits:
Small nutlets, with broad wings; female cones 1.5-2 cm long, egg-shaped.
Notes:
Three subspecies occur in BC.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Moist slopes, streambanks, avalanche tracks, bogs and fens in all zones; ssp. crispa frequent in N BC, ssp. sinuata common throughout S BC, becoming less frequent and transitional to ssp. crispa in N BC; circumboreal, E to PQ and S to NC, MN, CO and CA.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Alnus viridis (Chaix) Spach
Taxonomic Keys
1. Leaves finely once or twice saw-toothed; axillary buds unstalked, pointed; male catkins unstalked; stalks as long as or longer than the conelike sillicles..........................A. viridis
1. Leaves coarsely to irregularly round-toothed; axillary buds pedunculate, blunt or short-pointed; male catkins stalked; stalks shorter than the conelike silicles 2. Leaf margins rolled under; nutlets with narrow-winged margins.......................................A. rubra 2. Leaf margins not rolled under; nutlets wingless..................................A. incana Source: Illustrated Flora of British Columbia, Volume 2 |