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alder

Scientific Name: Alnus

Family: Betulaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth:

Duration:

Other Names:

       

About Alder (Alnus)

Alder is the common name for a genus of flowering plants (Alnus) within the birch family, Betulaceae. This genus includes approximately 35 species.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Alnus
  • Common Name: Alder
  • Family: Betulaceae (birch family)

Distribution and Habitat

  • The common alder (Alnus glutinosa) is native to most of Europe and southwest Asia.
  • Alder is native to Britain and found throughout Europe as far as Siberia.
  • Common alder (Alnus glutinosa) is the most common tree in riparian forests.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • The common alder (Alnus glutinosa) is a tree species.
  • Alder trees can be conical-shaped.
  • They can reach a height of 20 meters.
  • Alder rarely grows to more than 20 meters or lives longer than 150 years.
  • It grows quickly and is short-lived.

Ecological Role

  • Alder improves soil fertility through its ability to fix nitrogen from the air.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • All alder species (Alnus spp.) are threatened by a lethal disease first discovered in Britain in 1993. The text doesn't specify the causal agent.