Betulaceae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 Black Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
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Alnus - Alder |
Betulaceae, or the Birch Family, includes six genera of deciduous nut-bearing trees and shrubs, including the birches, alders, hazels, hornbeams and hop-hornbeams. They are mostly natives of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with a few species reaching the Southern Hemisphere in the Andes in South America.
In the past, the family was often divided into two families, Betulaceae (Alnus, Betula) and Corylaceae (the rest); however, recent treatments, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, include the Corylaceae within Betulaceae.
[edit] Uses
The Common Hazel Corylus avellana and the Filbert Corylus maxima are important orchard plants, grown for their edible nuts.
The other genera include a number of popular ornamental trees, widely planted in parks and large gardens; several of the birches are particularly valued for their smooth, brightly coloured bark.
The wood is generally hard, tough and heavy, hornbeams particularly so; several species were of significant importance in the past where very hard wood capable of withstanding heavy wear was required, such as for cartwheels, water wheels, cog wheels, tool handles, chopping boards and wooden pegs. In most of these uses wood has now been replaces by metal or other man-made materials.
