Rhamnus alnifolia
Rhamnus alnifolia | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Rhamnaceae |
Genus: | Rhamnus |
Species: | R. alnifolia |
Binomial name | |
Rhamnus alnifolia | |
Rhamnus alnifolia is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family known by the common names alderleaf buckthorn,[1] or alder buckthorn. Unlike other "buckthorns", this alder buckthorn does not have thorns.[2] It is native to North America, where it is known mainly from the southern half of Canada and the northern half of the United States and California.[3][4] It can be found in forested habitat.
Description
Rhamnus alnifolia is a spreading shrub usually 50 to 150 cm (20 to 59 in) tall,[5] rarely to 2 m (6 ft 7 in), its thin branches bearing deciduous leaves.[6] The thin, deeply veined leaves have oval blades 4.5 to 11 cm (1 3⁄4 to 4 3⁄8 in) long, pointed at the tip and lightly toothed along the edges.[5] The inflorescence is a solitary flower or umbel of up to three flowers occurring in leaf axils. The tiny flowers are about 1 mm (0.04 in) wide[6] and have five green sepals but no petals.[7] Female flowers produce drupes 6 to 8 mm (0.24 to 0.31 in) wide, each containing three seeds. The drupes darken to black when ripe.[5]
References
- ↑ "Rhamnus alnifolia". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ↑ Catling, P.M., and Z.S. Porebski. 1994. The history of invasion and current status of glossy buckthorn, Rhamnus frangula, in Southern Ontario. Canadian Field Naturalist 108:305–310
- ↑ "Rhamnus alnifolia". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.
- ↑ "Rhamnus alnifolia". State-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.
- 1 2 3 Nesom, Guy L. (2016). "Rhamnus alnifolia". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee. Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). 12. New York and Oxford – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
- 1 2 Jepson Flora Project (ed.). "Rhamnus alnifolia". Jepson eFlora. The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley.
- ↑ Chayka, Katy; Dziuk, Peter (2016). "Rhamnus alnifolia (Alder-leaved Buckthorn)". Minnesota Wildflowers.
External links
- Rhamnus alnifolia in the CalPhotos Photo Database, University of California, Berkeley
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