Rhamnus alnifolia
Encyclopedia
Rhamnus alnifolia is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family
known by the common name alder buckthorn, or alderleaf buckthorn. 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
. It can be found in forested habitat.
approaching two meters in maximum height, its thin branches bearing deciduous
leaves. The thin, deeply veined leaves have oval blades up to 10 centimeters long, pointed at the tip and lightly toothed along the edges. The inflorescence
is a solitary flower or umbel
of up to three flowers occurring in leaf axils. The tiny flowers are just a few millimeters wide and lack petals. Female flowers drupe
s just under a centimeter wide, each containing three seeds. The drupes darken to black when ripe.
Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae, the Buckthorn family, is a large family of flowering plants, mostly trees, shrubs and some vines.The family contains 50-60 genera and approximately 870-900 species. The Rhamnaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are more common in the subtropical and tropical regions...
known by the common name alder buckthorn, or alderleaf buckthorn. 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
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It can be found in forested habitat.
Description
Rhamnus alnifolia is a spreading shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
approaching two meters in maximum height, its thin branches bearing deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
leaves. The thin, deeply veined leaves have oval blades up to 10 centimeters long, pointed at the tip and lightly toothed along the edges. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a solitary flower or umbel
Umbel
An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs....
of up to three flowers occurring in leaf axils. The tiny flowers are just a few millimeters wide and lack petals. Female flowers drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
s just under a centimeter wide, each containing three seeds. The drupes darken to black when ripe.