alder
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alder
(ôl`dər), name for deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Alnus of the family Betulaceae (birchbirch,common name for some members of the Betulaceae, a family of deciduous trees or shrubs bearing male and female flowers on separate plants, widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. They are valued for their hardwood lumber and edible fruits and as ornamental trees.
..... Click the link for more information. family), widely distributed, especially in mountainous and moist areas of the north temperate zone and in the Andes. The black alder (A. glutinosa) is an Old World species now naturalized in E North America. Its bark, still used for dyes and tanning, was formerly considered medicinal; its wood is useful chiefly as charcoal. A. rugosa, the speckled alder, forms extensive swamp thickets in Eurasia and North America. The red alder (A. rubra), the largest tree of the genus, is the most important hardwood timber tree in its native region, the Pacific coast of North America. Alder trees are classified in the division MagnoliophytaMagnoliophyta
, division of the plant kingdom consisting of those organisms commonly called the flowering plants, or angiosperms. The angiosperms have leaves, stems, and roots, and vascular, or conducting, tissue (xylem and phloem).
..... Click the link for more information. , class Magnoliopsida, order Fagales, family Betulaceae.
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alder
[′ȯl·dər] (botany)
The common name for several trees of the genus Alnus.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
alder
A moderately light-colored, light-weight hardwood that changes to flesh color or light brown when dried; often stained to simulate cherry, mahogany or walnut; often used as plywood core and crossbanding.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
alder
1. any N temperate betulaceous shrub or tree of the genus Alnus, having toothed leaves and conelike fruits. The bark is used in dyeing and tanning and the wood for bridges, etc. because it resists underwater rot
2. any of several similar trees or shrubs
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005