Birch
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Read about Birch in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Betula (ancient Latin name). Betulaceae. Birch. Ornamental deciduous woody plants grown chiefly for their bright green handsome foliage. Page 3566. Trees or shrubs: winter-buds usually conspicuous, sessile, with several imbricate scales: Lvs. alternate, petioled, serrate or crenate: fls. monoecious, apetalous, in catkins, staminate formed in autumn and remaining naked during the winter, every scale bearing 3 fls., each with a minute 4-toothed calyx and with 2 stamens divided at the apex; pistillate catkins oblong or cylindrical, bearing 3 naked ovaries in the axil of every scale consisting of 3 connate bracts: fr. a minute nut, often erroneously called seed, with membranous wines, dropping at maturity with the 3-pointed scales from the slender rachis of the strobile.—About 35 species in N. Amer., Eu., N. and Cent. Asia, especially in the northern regions. No tree goes farther north than the birch, in N. Amer. B. papyrifera reaches 66° north latitude, and in Eu. B. pubescens goes to the N. Cape, and is still a forest tree at 70°. Monogr. by Regel: Monographische Bearbeitung der Betulaceae (1861); and in Do Candolle, Prodromus, 16, 2, p. 162 (1869); and by Winkler in Engler's Pflanzenreich: Betulaceae, p. 56, quoted below as W. B. The birches are often conspicuous on account of their colored bark, and slender usually pendulous staminate catkins before the leaves and much smaller pistillate catkins, followed by subglobose to cylindric strobiles. The hard and tough wood is often used in the manufacture of furniture and of many small articles, in making charcoal, and for fuel; from the bark, boxes, baskets, and many small articles are made; also canoes from that of the B. papyrifera; in Russia and Siberia it is used in tanning leather. The sap of some species is used as a beverage. The birches are very ornamental park trees, hardy, except two or three Himalayan species, and especially valuable for colder climates. They are essentially northern trees and are short-lived in warmer regions, particularly mountain species like B. lutea, while B. nigra and B. lenta are better suited for a warmer climate than most other species. Their foliage is rarely attacked by insects, and turns to a bright or orange-yellow in fall. Their graceful habit, the slender, often pendulous branches, and the picturesque trunks make them conspicuous features of the landscape. Especially remarkable are those with white bark, as B. papyrifera, B. populifolia, B. pendula, B. Ermanii, and also B. Maximowiczii with yellow bark. Most birches prefer moist, sandy and loamy soil; but some, as B. pendula and B. populifolia, grow as satisfactorily in dry localities and poor soil as in swamps and bogs, and they are especially valuable in replanting deserted grounds as nurses for other trees; both are comparatively short-lived trees. Propagation is readily accomplished by seeds, gathered at maturity and sown in fall, or usually kept dry during the winter, or stratified; but B. nigra, which ripens its fruits in June, must be sown at once, and by fall the seedlings will be several inches high. The seeds should be sown in sandy soil, rather thick, as the percentage of perfect seeds is not very large, slightly or not at all covered, but pressed firmly into the ground and kept moist and shady. The seedlings must be transplanted when one year old. Rarer species and varieties are grafted, usually on B. lenta, B. papyrifera, B. nigra or B. pendula. Cleft or tongue-grafting in early spring, on potted stock in the greenhouse, is the best method. Budding in summer is also sometimes practised. Shrubby forms may also be increased by layers, and B. nana by greenwood cuttings under glass.
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| Many species; see text and classification |
Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. These are generally small to medium-size trees or shrubs, mostly of northern temperate climates. The simple leaves may be toothed or lobed. The fruit is a small samara, although the wings may be obscure in some species. They differ from the alders (Alnus, the other genus in the family) in that the female catkins are not woody and disintegrate at maturity, falling apart to release the seeds, unlike the woody cone-like female alder catkins.
The common name birch is derived from an old Germanic root similar to birka. The Proto-Germanic rune berkanan is named after the birch. The botanic name Betula is from the original Latin.
Birch is used as a food plant by the larvae of a large number of Lepidoptera species, see List of Lepidoptera which feed on Birches.
The birch is considered a national tree of Russia, where it used to be worshipped as a goddess during the Green Week in early June.
Species
See also: Betula classification birch
- Birches of North America include
- Betula alleghaniensis - Yellow Birch (B. lutea)
- Betula cordifolia - Mountain Paper Birch
- Betula glandulosa - American Dwarf Birch
- Betula lenta - Sweet Birch, Cherry Birch, or Black Birch
- Betula lenta subsp. uber - Virginia Round-Leaf Birch (endemic, Cressy Creek, Smyth County, Virginia)
- Betula michauxii - Newfoundland Dwarf Birch
- Betula nana - Dwarf Birch or Bog Birch (also in northern Europe and Asia)
- Betula neoalaskana - Alaska Birch or Yukon Birch
- Betula nigra - River Birch or Black Birch
- Betula occidentalis - Water Birch or Red Birch (B. fontinalis)
- Betula papyrifera - Paper Birch, Canoe Birch or American White Birch
- Betula populifolia - Gray Birch
- Betula pumila - Swamp Birch
- Betula albosinensis - Chinese Red Birch
- Betula albosinensis var. septentrionalis - North Chinese Red Birch
- Betula alnoides - Alder-leaf Birch
- Betula austrosinensis - South China Birch
- Betula chinensis - Chinese Dwarf Birch
- Betula ermanii - Erman's Birch
- Betula grossa - Japanese Cherry Birch
- Betula jacquemontii (Betula utilis subsp. jacquemontii) - White-barked Himalayan Birch
- Betula mandschurica - Manchurian Birch
- Betula mandschurica var. japonica - Japanese Birch
- Betula maximowiczii - Monarch Birch
- Betula medwediewii - Caucasian Birch
- Betula nana - Dwarf Birch (also in northern North America)
- Betula pendula - Silver Birch
- Betula platyphylla (Betula pendula var. platyphylla) - Siberian Silver Birch
- Betula pubescens - Downy Birch, White Birch or European White Birch (also in northern Asia)
- Betula pubescens subsp. tortuosa - Arctic White Birch (subarctic Eurasia, Greenland)
- Betula szechuanica (Betula pendula var. szechuanica) - Sichuan Birch
- Betula utilis - Himalayan Birch
- Note: many American texts have B. pendula and B. pubescens confused, though they are distinct species with different chromosome numbers
Uses
Birches are versatile trees. The sap, bark, leaves, wood, twigs, and roots are used for food, construction materials, drums, medicinal treatments, lubricants, and other practical applications.
Due to birch pulp’s short-fibre qualities, this hardwood can be used to make printing paper.
In northern latitudes birch is however considered to be the most important allergenic tree pollen, with an estimated 15-20% of hay fever sufferers sensitive to birch pollen grains.
Extracts of birch are used for flavoring or leather oil, and in cosmetics such as soap or shampoo. In the past, commercial oil of wintergreen (methyl salicylate) was made from the Sweet Birch (Betula lenta). Birch tar or Russian Oil, extracted from birch bark, was used as a lubricant or glue and also for medicinal purposes. Xylitol can also be extracted from birch, a sugar alcohol artificial sweetener, which has shown effectiveness in preventing, and in some cases repairing, tooth decay.
In Belarus, Russia, the Baltic States, Finland, and parts of northern China, birch sap is drunk as a refreshing beverage, and is believed to have tonic qualities. It is watery and pale green in color, with a slightly sweet flavor, and is bottled commercially. Birch sap may also made into kvass. The sap of particular birch species may also be rendered into birch syrup, vinegar, beer, soft drinks, and other foods. In contrast to maple syrup, birch syrup is very difficult to produce, making it more expensive than other food syrups. It is also considerably less sweet than maple syrup and the sap for syrup production is not available until a month later than maple's. The syrup is made mainly in Alaska (from Alaska Birch) and Russia (from several species), and more rarely elsewhere.
Silver Birch (Betula pendula) is Finland's national tree. Occasionally one uses leafy, fragrant twigs of silver birch to gently beat oneself in a sauna. The twigs are called vihta or vasta. This has a relaxing effect on the muscles.
Birch is used as firewood due to its high calorific value per unit weight and unit volume.
Birch leaves are used to make a diuretic tea and to make extracts for dyes and cosmetics.
Birch twigs were bound in a bundle, also called birch, to be used for birching, a form of corporal punishment.
Many of the First Nations of North America prized the birch for its bark, which due to its light weight, flexibility, and the ease with which it could be stripped from fallen trees, was often used for the construction of strong, waterproof but lightweight canoes, bowls, and tipis. The bark is high in betulin and betulinic acid, phytochemicals which have potential as pharmaceuticals, and other chemicals which show promise as industrial lubricants.
Birch bark can be soaked until moist in hot water, and then formed into a cast for a broken arm Template:Fact. It is also used in starting fires. The bark will burn very well, even when wet, because of the oils it contains. With care, the bark can be split into very thin sheets that will ignite from even the smallest of sparks.
Birches also have spiritual importance in several religions, both modern and historical.
Birch wood is also used to make drums. They produce boosted high and low frequencies with loud low end punch that is ideal for studio recordings.
According to the Food Network series Unwrapped, birch is a preferred wood for the manufacture of toothpicks.
The inner bark of birch can be ingested.
References
Birch tree (foreground), showing characteristic white bark
Closeup of Silver Birch bark
A gnarled Silver Birch bark
A betula nana or tortuosa at Kvaløya
In India the thin bark coming off in winter was used as writing paper. This has excellent life. the paper is known as bhoorj patra. Bhoorj is the sanskrit name of tree and patra means paper
