b e a t ; f rom t h e fa s e e s o f t h e R o tn a n l ic to r s , w h ic h w e r e a lw a y s m a d e o f b ir c h r o d s , b e in g u s e d fo
d r iv e b iic k th e p o o p lo . P l in y d e r iv e s th e n am e f ro m b i tu n i e n .
Gcn. Char., 4’ò'. Barren fiowers. Catkins cylindrical, lax, imbricated all
ronnd with te rn ate concave scales th e middle one largest, ovate, Corolla
none. Filaments 10 to 12, shorter than th e middle scale, to which they
a re attached. Anthers roundish, 2-lobed.—Fertile fiowers. Catkins similar
but more d e n s e ; scales horizontal, peltate, dilated outwards, 3-lobed, 3-
flowered. Corolla none. Germen compressed. Styles 2. Stigma simple.
N u t oblong, deciduous, winged a t each side. (Cr. Don.)
Leaves simple, a ltern ate,stip u late , deciduous; serrated o r entire. Flowers
whitisli, in pendulous catkins. — Trees o r shrubs, deciduous, with round
slender branches, and tlie bark in most species in thin membranous layers.
Natives o f Eu ro p e , Asia, and N o rth America.
The species are generally found in mountainous rocky situations in th e middle
o f Europe ; b u t they grow wild in plains and peaty soils in th e northe rn regions.
The common birch is one of th e hardiest o f known trees ; and th e re are only
one or two o th e r species o f ligneous plants which ap|)roach so near to the
North Po le. They all ripen seeds in th e climate o f London ; and arc all o f tlie
easiest culture in any ordinary soil ; but, being hair-rooted, they do n o t grow so
well in very strong clays ; n o r do plants o f this genus, when raised from layers
o r cuttings, grow so freely as in th e case o f most oth e r genera. Th e leaves
o f th e birch having little succulency, and being astringent and aromatic, are
very rarely subject to th e attacks o f insects. The wood o f all th e species is
much less durable than th e bark. T h e leaves o f m ost o f th e species die off of
a rich yellow, and some o f them o f a deep red or scarlet.
Lcaves small. Natives chicfiy o f Europe.
¥ 1 . R. a ' l b a L . Th e white, or common, Birch.
I d e n li fic a iio n . L in . S p . P l . , 1 3 9 3 .; E n g l. F l . , 4 . p . 153. ; H o o k . B r . F l . . 3 d e d ., p . 411.
S y n o n ym e s . B . p u b é s c e n s E h r h . A r b . 6 7 . ; .B é tu la R a i i S y n . 4 4 5 . ; B . f e tn é n s is R a jt. ; B o u lo a ii
c o in m u n , F r . ; g em e in e B i r k e , G e r . ; B e d o llo , I ta l.
E n g r a v in g s . E n g . B o t . , t . 2198. ; a n d out fi g . 1528.
Spec. Char., t^c. Leaves ovate, acute, somewhat deltoid, unequally serrated,
nearly glabrous. {Smith.') A deciduous tree. E u ro p e , more especially
in th e colder regions ; a diminutive shrub in th e extreme north, but a
tree from 50 ft. to 60 ft. high in th e middle regions. Flowers whitish ; in
Lapland, in May ; and in th e Apennines, and in England, in February and
March. F ru it brown ; ripe in September and October. Decaying leaves
I'icli yellow, scarlet, o r red.
Varieties.
¥ B. a. 2 péndula Smith. R. péndula Both
Germ. i. p. 405. p t. 2. p. 47G. ; R . verrucòsa
Ehrh. Arb. 96. ; R . ¡)éndulis virgulis Locs.
P n iss .; th e weeping Birch .— A well-known
tre e, distinct from th e species in having th e
shoots more slender, smoother, and pendulous.
(S e e th e plate o f th e young
^ tre e in Arb. Brit., 1st edit., voi.
vii.)
¥ B. a. 3 pubéscens. B . pubéscens
Ehrh. Beitr. vi. 98. (O u r fig .
1526.) — The leaves covered
with white haii\s.
¥ B. a. 4 póntica. B. póntica Lodd.
Cat. ed. 1836. (O u r /g . 1527.)
—Leaves somewhat larger than
in th e species, and th e plant o f
more robust growth.5526. B. R. pubfecens. 1527. n . a , jidmita.
1 B. a. 5 m-tidfilia. B. articifóüa Lodd. Cal.— Leaves deeply laciniated,
serrated, and hairy.
Í B. a. 6 dalecàrlica L. Supp. 416. — Leaves almost palmate, with th e
segments toothed ; “ cu t like those o f hemp,” according to Bosc.
V B. «. 7 macrocárpa Willd. — Female catkins twice as long as those of
th e species.
T B. n. 8 filiis variegàtis Dumont. — Leaves blotched with yellowish
white.
Other Varieties. B . daurica appears to be a variety o f B . álba, stu n ted from
the climate in which it grows ; and the same observation will apply to B .
sibirica, and some others, enumerated in th e Catalogue o f Messrs. Loddiges,
for 1836. B . excélsa and B . nigra o f some o f th e London gardens are mere
varieties o f th e common birch, and quite distinct from the species described
hy botanists under these names, which are natives o f America. (S e e Gard.
Mag., vol. xi. p. 503. 689.) B. undulàta, B . Thouinidn«, and B . Fischeri
a l s o appear to us to belong to r t. á lb a ; but th e p la n ts being exceedingly
small, we are n o t able to determine this with certainty.
The rate of growth o f th e common birch is considerable when th e tree is
young, averaging from 18 in. to 3 ft. a year for th e first 10 years ; and young
trees cut down to the ground often make shoots 8 o r 10 feet long in one season.
The duration is n o t great, th e tre e attaining maturity, in good soils, in from
forty to fifty yea rs; but, according to Hartig, seldom lasting in health till it a ttains
a hundred years. Th e wood is white, shaded with red; o f a medium
durability in temperate climates, b u t lasting a long time wben it is grown in tbe
extreme north. The grain o f th e wood is intermediate between coarse and
fine. It is easily worked while green ; but it chips under th e tool when dry.
I t weighs, when green, 65 lb. 6 oz. ; half-dry, 56 lb. 6 oz. ; and dry, 45 lb. 1 oz.
Though th e birch may be propagated by layers and even by cuttings, yet
plants are n o t readily produced otherwise than by seed ; and those o f certain
vaiieties, which are procured from layers o r by inarching, never appear to
grow with th e same vigour as .seedlings. Birch seed ripens in September and
October, and may be either gathered and sown immediately, or preserved in
a dry loft, and sown in spring. Sang directs particular attention to be paid
to gathering th e seeds only from weeping tree.s ;
and this we know to be th e directions given to
the collectors employed by th e nurserymen in
the north o f Scotland. I f th e seeds are to be
sown immediately, th e catkins may be gathered
wet ; but, if they are to be k ep t till spring,
they ought n o t to be gathered except when
quite dry ; and every day’s gathering should be
carried to a dry loft and spread o u t thinly, as
they are very ap t to h ea t when k ep t in sacks
or laid up in heaps. T h e seeds should be sown
in very fine light, rich soil, in beds o f th e usual
width, and very slightly covered. Boutcher
says : — “ Sow th e seeds and clap them into the
ground with th e back o f th e spade, with o u t any
earth spread over them, and throw a little peas
haulm over th e beds for th re e o r four weeks, till
the seeds begin to vegetate. The peas haulm
will keep th e ground moist, exclude frost, and
prevent th e birds from destroying th e seeds.”
(Treat, on Forest Trees, p. 113.) “ It is scarcely
possible,” Sang observes, “ to cover birch seeds too little, if they be covered
at all.” Th e plants, if sown in autumn, will come up in th e March o r April
following. I f sown in spring, they will come up in May or Ju n e ; which, in
very cold climates, is a preferable season. I f any danger is apprehended
3 u 4
I