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WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

26.) BETULACEAE - Birch family

BETULACEAE - Birch family

BETULA L.

  • Betula pendula Roth (Silver Birch) / Woodland

  • Betula pendula x B. pubescens = B. x aurata Borkh. (Hybrid Birch) Recorded only at Weston Big Wood in 1997 by J. Smith and at Lower Wytherington in 2000 by Cam Valley Wildlife Group. It is possibly overlooked

  • Betula pubescens Ehrh. ssp. pubescens (Downy Birch) /- Woodland Scattered

  • Betula utilis D. Don (ssp. utilis) (Himalayan Birch) Widely planted in parks and streets around Bristol.

  • Betula albosinensis Burkill (B. utilis D. Don ssp. albosinensis (Burkill) Ashburner & McAll.) (White Birch) A native of China and Mongolia. Recorded at Horlton in 1984 by N. Riess.

  • Betula ermanii Cham. var. ermanii (Erman's Birch) A native of East Asia. Recorded on Clifton Down at the top of Stoke Hill in 2015 by R. Bland.

  • Betula papyrifera Marshall (Paper Birch) A native of North America. Recorded at Wringford, North Somerset in 2011 by H. Fox and at Bailey Caravan Complex, Bedminster, Bristol in 2015 by P. Quin.

  • Betula nigra L. (Black Birch) Recorded at Clifton in 2000 by R. Bland.

ALNUS Mill.

  • Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. (Alder) / Wetland Widespread and frequent in wet woodland and beside watercourses. Also widely planted. It does surprisingly well around the floating harbour where small shrubs cling onto the stone work just above the watermark. White (1912) mentions a "cut-leaved variety...is in Newton Park near Corston". Alders are unusual among nonleguminous plants for their ability to fix nitrogen via a symbiotic relationship with Frankia - a soil borne bacteria. It's leaves frequently get decimated by the Alder leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni) which was once considered extinct but has made a dramatic comeback in recent years.

  • Alnus incana (L.) Moench ssp. incana (Grey Alder) / General Widely planted for forestry and ornament in streets, parks and other public green spaces (often besides lakes) and sometimes self-seeds and becomes established.

  • Alnus rubra Bong. (Red Alder) A native of western North America. Recorded at Hengrove, South Bristol in 2015 by R. Bland?.

  • Alnus cordata (Loisel.) Duby (Italian Alder) / General Widely planted for ornament and forestry and sometimes self-seeds and becomes established.

  • Alnus viridis (Chaix) DC. (A. alnobetula (Ehrh.) K. Koch ssp. alnobetula) (Green Alder) Native to the mountains of Central Europe. Recorded at Lawrence Weston in 2013 by ?.

OSTRYA Scop.

  • Ostrya carpinifolia Scop. (Hop Hornbeam) A native of southern Europe and the Mediterranean. Recorded at Oldbury Court Estate in 2015 by R. Bland? and at Bath in 2020s by ? [BSBI record].

CARPINUS L.

  • Carpinus betulus L. (Hornbeam) / Woodland Widely distributed in Woods and hedgerows; usually only in small quantity. Also commonly planted. The large tree mentioned by White (1912) in woodland on Clifton Down near the Great Quarry, overlooking the Avon and Gully still exists?.

CORYLUS L.

  • Corylus avellana L. (Hazel) / Woodland Abundant in hedgerows, scrub and woods but becoming scarce along parts of the coast and on the Levels and Moors. A contorted form "with all shoots twisted in a spiral fashion, was found in a hedge near Tortworth." (Riddelsdell, 1948). Often known as the 'Corkscrew Hazel,' today it is often planted for ornament. According to White (1912) the "ancient art of divining or 'dowsing' for hidden springs of water by means of a forked twig of hazel, is nowhere more extensively practiced than in the neighbourhood of Bristol".

[Does the original Corkscrew Hazel still exist?]

  • Corylus avellana x C. maxima (Hazel x Filbert) Recorded at Cadbury Camp, Tickenham in 2002 by ?.

[Record on NBN]

  • Corylus maxima Mill. (Filbert) Native to the Balkans and Caucasus. Recorded at Bath in 2012 by ? - as the purple-leaved cultivar 'Purpurea' and at the Bristol Zoo Project (formerly Wild Place) in 2023 by ?.

[2023 record needs checking]

  • Corylus colurna L. (Turkish Hazel) / General A native of south-east Europe and south-west Asia; sometimes planted in public green spaces and as a street tree; mainly around Bristol. Also found at Bath (several specimens) outside Bath Spar railway station in 2024 by D. Peters.

List:

  • Betula pendula Roth (Silver Birch) / Woodland
  • Betula pendula x B. pubescens = B. x aurata Borkh. (Hybrid Birch)
  • Betula pubescens Ehrh. ssp. pubescens (Downy Birch) /- Woodland
  • Betula utilis D. Don (ssp. utilis - Kew, GBIF) (Himalayan Birch)
  • Betula albosinensis Burkill (B. utilis D. Don ssp. albosinensis (Burkill) Ashburner & McAll. - Kew, GBIF) (White Birch)
  • Betula papyrifera Marshall (Paper Birch)
  • Betula nigra L. (Black Birch)
  • Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. (Alder) / Wetland
  • Alnus incana (L.) Moench (ssp. incana) (Grey Alder) / General
  • Alnus rubra Bong. (Red Alder)
  • Alnus cordata (Loisel.) Duby (Italian Alder) / General
  • Alnus viridis (Chaix) DC. (A. alnobetula (Ehrh.) K. Koch ssp. alnobetula - Kew, GBIF) (Green Alder)
  • Ostrya carpinifolia Scop. (Hop Hornbeam)
  • Carpinus betulus L. (Hornbeam) / Woodland
  • Corylus avellana L. (Hazel) / Woodland
  • Corylus avellana x C. maxima (Hazel x Filbert)
  • Corylus maxima Mill. (Filbert)
  • Corylus colurna L. (Turkish Hazel) / General

Species to add:

  • Betula pendula x B. pubescens = B. x aurata Borkh. (Hybrid Birch)
  • Betula utilis D. Don (ssp. utilis - Kew, GBIF) (Himalayan Birch)
  • Betula albosinensis Burkill (B. utilis D. Don ssp. albosinensis (Burkill) Ashburner & McAll. - Kew, GBIF) (White Birch)
  • Betula ermanii Cham. var. ermanii (Erman's Birch)
  • Betula papyrifera Marshall (Paper Birch)
  • Betula nigra L. (Black Birch)
  • Alnus rubra Bong. (Red Alder)
  • Alnus viridis (Chaix) DC. (A. alnobetula (Ehrh.) K. Koch ssp. alnobetula - Kew, GBIF) (Green Alder)
  • Ostrya carpinifolia Scop. (Hop Hornbeam)
  • Corylus avellana x C. maxima (Hazel x Filbert)
  • Corylus maxima Mill. (Filbert)
  • Corylus colurna L. (Turkish Hazel)

Could occur:

  • Betula pubescens Ehrh. ssp. celtiberica (Rothm. & Vasc.) Rivas Mart. (B. celtiberica Rothm. & Vasc. - Kew, GBIF)
  • Betula utilis D. Don var. jacquemontii (Spach) A. Henry (ssp. jacquemontii (Spach) Kitam. - Kew, GBIF) (Jacquemont's Birch)
  • Alnus glutinosa x A. incana = A. x hybrida A. Braun ex Rchb. (Hybrid Alder)
  • Alnus glutinosa x A. cordata = A. x elliptica Req. (Alder x Italian Alder)
  • Alnus incana ssp. rugosa (Du Roi) R.T. Clausen
  • Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia (Nutt.) Breitung
  • Alnus incana x A. cordata (Grey x Italian Alder)