Betula pumila L.

Bog birch (en), Bouleau nain (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Fagales > Betulaceae > Betula

Characteristics

Shrubs , coarse, irregular, or spreading, to 4 m. Bark dark reddish brown, smooth, close; lenticels pale, inconspicuous. Twigs without taste and odor of wintergreen, glabrous to moderately pubescent, with scattered small resinous glands, especially near nodes. Leaf blade elliptic, obovate, or nearly orbiculate (to sometimes reniform) with 2--6 pairs of lateral veins, 2.5--5(--7) × 1--5 cm, base cuneate to rounded, margins crenate to dentate, apex usually broadly acute or obtuse to rounded; surfaces abaxially glabrous or slightly pubescent to heavily velutinous or tomentose, often with scattered resinous glands. Infructescences erect, cylindric, 0.8--1.5(--2) × 0.8--1 cm, shattering with fruits in fall; scales glabrous to pubescent, lobes diverging slightly distal to middle, central lobe narrow, elongate, lateral lobes shorter and broader, extended. Samaras with wings slightly narrower than body, broadest near center, not extended beyond body apically. 2 n = 56.
More
Erect, branching shrub 1–4 m, with close, brown bark; lvs firm, obovate to broadly ovate or orbicular, 2–3 cm, obtuse to broadly rounded above, coarsely dentate, rounded to broadly cuneate at base, softly pubescent on both sides when young, glabrescent with age, the hairs mostly 1–2 mm; lateral veins 3–6 pairs, the veinlets conspicuously raised-reticulate; fruiting catkins 1–2 cm, on peduncles 5–10 mm; scales 2.8–5.5 mm, about as wide, the lateral lobes widely divergent, often constricted at base; frs depressed-obovate to subrotund or oblate, truncate or rounded above, 1.6–2.8 × 1.8–3.7 mm, the body half as wide as the whole fr; 2n=56. In bogs, often forming large colonies; Nf. and Que. to s. Ont. and Mich., s. to N.J., Md., c. O., and n. Ind.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality monoecy
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 4.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) 0.5
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Light 5-9
Soil humidity 5-7
Soil texture 3-4
Soil acidity 4-9
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 3-8

Usage

Uses environmental use fiber medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use Gynecological Aid (unspecified), Respiratory Aid (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) 30 - 90
Germination temperacture (C°) 18 - 23
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment stratification
Minimum temperature (C°) -40
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Betula pumila leaf picture by Brett Bockhop (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Betula pumila world distribution map, present in Canada, Colombia, France, Micronesia (Federated States of), Malaysia, and United States of America

Conservation status

Betula pumila threat status: Least Concern

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30003581-2
WFO ID wfo-0000336350
COL ID LPDG
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 762263
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Betula pumila f. hallii Betula pumila f. pubescens Betula grayi Betula pumila Betula glandulifera Betula obovata Betula pumila f. glandulifera Chamaebetula pumila Betula pulchella Betula pumila f. subcycla Betula quebeccensis Betula glandulosa var. glandulifera Betula glandulosa var. hallii Betula nana var. glandulifera Betula nana var. renifolia Betula pumila var. borealis Betula pumila var. glabra Betula pumila var. glabrescens Betula pumila subsp. glandulifera Betula pumila var. glandulifera Betula pumila var. latipes Betula pumila var. renifolia Betula pumila var. setarioides Betula pumila var. fastigiata Betula pumila f. glabrescens Betula neoborealis Betula pumila f. latipes Betula pumila var. pumila Betula hallii Betula pubescens var. borealis