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.

"Alder buckthorn" redirects here. The term may also refer to Rhamnus frangula.

Rhamnus alnifolia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rhamnaceae
Genus: Rhamnus
Species:
R. alnifolia
Binomial name
Rhamnus alnifolia

Description

Rhamnus alnifolia is a spreading shrub usually 0.5 to 1.5 metres (20 to 59 inches) tall,[5] rarely to 2 m (6+1⁄2 ft), its thin branches bearing deciduous leaves.[6] The thin, deeply veined leaves have oval blades 4.5 to 11 centimetres (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 millimetre (1⁄16 in) wide[6] and have five green sepals but no petals.[7] Female flowers produce drupes 6 to 8 mm (1⁄4 to 5⁄16 in) wide, each containing three seeds. The drupes darken to black when ripe.[5]

Uses

Native Americans used the species as a laxative.[8]

References
  1. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Rhamnus alnifolia". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  2. 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
  3. "Rhamnus alnifolia". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.
  4. "Rhamnus alnifolia". State-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2014.
  5. Nesom, Guy L. (2016). "Rhamnus alnifolia". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 12. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  6. Jepson Flora Project (ed.). "Rhamnus alnifolia". Jepson eFlora. The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley.
  7. Chayka, Katy; Dziuk, Peter (2016). "Rhamnus alnifolia (Alder-leaved Buckthorn)". Minnesota Wildflowers.
  8. Arno, Stephen F.; Hammerly, Ramona P. (2020) [1977]. Northwest Trees: Identifying & Understanding the Region's Native Trees (field guide ed.). Seattle: Mountaineers Books. p. 266. ISBN 1-68051-329-X. OCLC 1141235469.
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