G e n u s I .
J L N G S T ’ottm. T h e A l d e r . Lin . Syst. Monoe'cia Te tmndria.
I d e n ti fic a tio n . T o u r n . , t . 359. ; W i l ld . S p . P l . , 4 . p . 334. ; H a l l , H i s t . , 2. p . 3(I0. ; G a i r tn . , t. 90,
S y n o n y m e s . P é t u l a ; s p e c ie s L i n . ; A u n e , F r . ; E r i e , G e r . : O n t a n o , I t a l . ; A lis o , S p a n .
D e r i v a t i o n . F r o m a l, n e a r , a n d l a n , th e e d g e o f a r i v e r , C e ltic ; h a b i t a t : f r o m th e H e b r e w , a h n ,
a n o a k : o r , a c c o r d in g to o th e r s , f ro m a l i t u r a m n e , i t th r iv e s b y t h e r iv e r .
Gcn. Char. Barren fiowers numerous, aggregate, in a loose cylindrical catkin.
Ca/yj^apermanent wedge-shaped scale, 3-flowered, with two very minute lateral
scales. Corolla composed o f th re e equal florets. Filaments 4, from the
tube o f th e corolla. Anihers o f two round lobes.— Fertile fiowers fewer,
aggregate, in an oval firm catkin. Calyx a permanent wedge-shaped scale,
2-flowered. Corolla none. Styles 2. Stigma simple. N u t ovate, without
wings. (G . D o n .)
Leaves simple, alternate, stipulate, deciduous ; serrated o r entire. Floivers
terminal, greenish white, appearing earlier than th e foliage, in pendulous
catkins. — Trees deciduous, natives o f Eu ro p e and N o rth America; rai’ely
exceeding th e middle size, and some so low as to be considered shrubs.
With the exception o f A. glutinósa laciniata and A. cordifòlia, th e species
are n o t very ornamental ; n o r is th e timber o f great value, except for the
charcoal which may be made from it. All th e species prefer a moist soil,
o r one in th e vicinity o f water. A. glutinósa ripens seeds freely, as do most
o f th e oth e r sorts ; b u t all th e la tte r are generally propagated by layers. Decaying
leaves dark brown o r black, and n o t very ornamental.
Ï 1. A. GLUTiNo'sA Gærtn, The glutinous, or connnon. Alder.
I d e n ti fic a tio n . G æ r tn . , 2 p . 5 4 . ; E n g . F l . , 4. p . 1 l o 3 i 1 ..; ; lïo o o o c ik iv . L j-,o ui
n d . , t . -59.; S c o t., 271.
S y n o n y m e s . . f f é tu lu s Æ lm i s L i n . ; IS. e m a r g i n à t a E h r h . A r b . 9. ; . - i i n u s I l a i i S y n . 4 42. ; Aunc,
F r . ; g e rn e in e E l s e , o r E l s e r , o r s c h w a r tz E r i e , G e r . ; E l s e n b o o m , D u t c h ; A ln o , o r Ontan o ,
Leaves neai’ly round,
I ta l . ; A lis o , o r A lam o n ig r o , S p a n .
E n g r a v in g s . E n g . B o t . , t . 1 5 0 8 .; H u n t . E v e l . S y l . , 240. f . ; t h e p l a t e o f t h i s sp e c ie s in A rb . B rit.,
1 s t e d i t . , v o l. v ii. ; a n d o u r / g . J514.
Spec. Char., S/c. Leaves roundish, wedge-shaped, wavy, serrated, glutinous,
rath er abru p t ; downy a t th e branching o f tlie veins beneath. (Smith.) A
deciduous tre e . E u ro p e , from Lapland to Gibraltar ; and Asia, from the
Wh ite Sea to Mount Caucasus ; and also th e N o rth o f Africa. Height
30 ft. to 60 ft. Flowers brownish ; March and April. F ru it brown ; ripe
in October. Decaying leaves brownish black, or almost black.
Varieties.
¥ A. g . 2 emarginàta Willd. Baum. p. 19. -
wedge-shaped, and edged with light green.
¥ A. g. 3 laciniàta Ait., Willd. 1. c., Lodd.
Cat. ed. 1836. A. g. incìsa Hort. (T h e
pla te o f a fine tre e at Syon, in Arb. Brit.,
1st edit., vol vii. ; and o u r fig . 1512.) —
Leaves oblong and pinnatifid, with th e
lobes acute. Wild in th e n o rth o f France, '
particularly in Normandy, and in th e woods
o f Montmorency near Paris.
A. g . 4 (\uercifòlia Willd. 1. c .— Leaves
sinuated, with th e lobes obtuse.
A. g. 5 oxyacanthæfôlia. A . oxyacanthæfôlia
Lodd. Cat. ed. 1836. (O u r fig .
1513.) — Leaves sinuated and lobed ;
smaller th a n those o f th e preceding variety,
and somewhat resembling those o f
th e common hawthorn. ISia. A. g. laciniàta.
¥ A. g. 6 macrocái'pa. A. macrocárpa Ijodd. Cat.
1836.— Leaves and fruit rath er larger than those
o f the species, and th e tre e is also o f somewhat
more vigorous growth.
¥ A. g. 7 foliis vaiiegàtis H o r t.— Leaves variegated.
Other Varieties. Th e following names are applied to '
piants in th e collection o f Messrs. Loddiges : A. nigra,
A. rùbra, a native o f th e Island o f Sitcha, A. plicàta, and
A. undulata.
The alder, in a wild s tate, is seldom seen higher than 40
or 50 feet ; but, in good soil near water, it will attain the
height of 50 o r 60 feet and upwards. A. g. laciniàta
forms a handsome pyramidal tre e, which, a t S}on, has
attained th e height o f 63 ft. ; and a t Woburn Farm, near
Chertsey, is still higher. The ra te o f growtli o f th e alder,
iu a favourable soil and situation, is about 2 or 3 feet a
year for four o r five years ; so th a t a tree 10 years j)lanted
will frequently attain th e height o f 20 or 25 feet ; and at
60 years th e tre e is supposed to have arrived a t maturity.
The roots arc creeping; and sometimes, but rarely, they
up suckers. T h e tree docs n o t associate well with othe rs, with th e exception
o f the ash (Baudril.) ; but its shade and fallen leaves are not injurious
to grass. Near water it retains its leaves
longer than any o th e r British deciduous
tree. The wood, though soft, is o f great
durability in water. I t weighs, when green,
62 ib. 6 oz. ; hali-dry, 48 Ib. 8 oz. ; and
quite dry, 39 lb. 4 oz., p e r cubic foot ; thus
losing above a third o f its weight by drying,
while it shrinks about a twoelfth part o f its
bulk. . In the Dictionnaire des E a u x et .
Forêts, the w-ood is said to be unchangeable
either in water o r earth. It is used
for all the various purposes to which soft
homogeneous woods a re generally applied ;
viz. for turne ry, sculpture, and cabinet-
making ; for wooden vessels, such as basins, ^
plates, and kneading-troughs ; for sabots,
wooden soles to shoes and pattens, clogs ' -i.{-lutinòsa.
for women, and similar purposes. A t Culzean Castle, Ayrshire, th e alder is
used as a nurse plant in situations exposed to th e sea breeze. (S e e Gard.
Mag. for 1841.)
F or raising th e alder from seeds, th e catkins should be gathered in dry
weather, as soon as th e seeds are matured, and carried to a loft, where they
should be spread o u t thinly. Th e proper time o f sowing is March ; and
the covering, which ought to be o f very light soil, should on no account
exceed a qu arter o f an inch in thickness. The plants from spring-sown
seeds will attain th e height o f from S in . to 6 iii. th e first summer. The
•second year they will be double o r treble th a t height ; and in th re e or
four years, if properly tre ated, they will be 5 o r 6 feet high. Th e nursery
culture and after-management in plantations have nothing peculiar in them ;
except th a t, when full-grown trees are to be cut down, it is advisable to disbark
them a year before, th a t th e wood, which is very watery, may be thoroughly
seasoned ; a practice as old as th e time o f Evelyn. When alders are cut
down as coppice-wood in spring, when th e sap is in motion, care should
be taken th a t the cuts are n o t made la ter than March ; and that tiiey are in
a sloping direction upwards. If, at this season, th e cuts are made downwards,
the section which remains on th e stool will be so far fractured as,
3 H