Birch
| Birch Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| Betula pendula (Silver birch) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Betulaceae |
| Subfamily: | Betuloideae |
| Genus: | L. |
| Subgenera | |
| |
| Range of Betula | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus Betula (/ˈbɛtjʊlə/),[2] in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus Betula contains 30 to 60 known taxa of which 11 are on the IUCN 2011 Red List of Threatened Species. They are typically short-lived pioneer species and are widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in northern areas of temperate climates and in boreal climates.[3] Birch wood is used for a wide range of purposes.
- ^ "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew". apps.kew.org.
- ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
- ^ Ashburner, Kenneth; McAllister, Hugh A. (2013). The Genus Betula: A Taxonomic Revision of Birches. Kew Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84246-141-9.