View source for Alder

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants in the birch family Betulaceae}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Distinguish|text= the unrelated plants [[witch alder]], [[dwarf alder]], and [[Elder (disambiguation)#Plants|elder]]}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| oldest_fossil = Paleocene
| image = 20120904Alnus glutinosa01.jpg
| image_caption = Common alder (''Alnus glutinosa'') 
| display_parents = 3
| taxon = Alnus
| authority = [[Philip Miller|Mill.]]
| type_species = ''[[Alnus glutinosa]]''
| type_species_authority = (L.) Gaertn.
| range_map = Alnus distribution.svg
| range_map_caption = 
| synonyms_ref = <ref name="KewChecklist">{{cite web|url=http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=6245|title=World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|website=apps.kew.org}}</ref>
| synonyms =
{{collapsible list|bullets = true
 |title=Genus synonyms
|''Betula-alnus'' {{small|Marshall}}
|''Duschekia'' {{small|Opiz}}
|''Alnaster'' {{small|Spach}}
|''Clethropsis'' {{small|Spach}}
|''Semidopsis'' {{small|Zumagl.}}
|''Alnobetula'' {{small|(W.D.J.Koch) Schur.}}
|''Cremastogyne'' {{small|(H.J.P.Winkl.) Czerep.}}
}}
}}
[[File:Alder catkins - 1 (2222383479).jpg|thumb|Female alder catkins after shedding their seeds]]
[[File:Alnus_serrulata.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Alnus serrulata]]'' male catkins]]

'''Alders''' are [[tree]]s of the genus '''''Alnus''''' in the birch family [[Betulaceae]]. The genus includes about 35 species<ref name="Arno-2020">{{Cite book |last1=Arno |first1=Stephen F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qDD4DwAAQBAJ |title=Northwest Trees: Identifying & Understanding the Region's Native Trees |last2=Hammerly |first2=Ramona P. |publisher=[[Mountaineers Books]] |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-68051-329-5 |edition=field guide |location=Seattle |pages=208–215 |language=en |oclc=1141235469 |orig-date=1977}}</ref> of [[monoecious]] trees and [[shrub]]s, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the [[Temperate climate|north temperate zone]] with a few species extending into [[Central America]], as well as the northern and southern [[Andes]].<ref name="KewChecklist"/>

== Description ==
[[File:LUT SEM Alder pollen 3kx.jpg|thumb|Pollen]]

With a few exceptions, alders are [[deciduous]], and the leaves are alternate, simple, and [[serration|serrated]]. The [[flower]]s are [[catkin]]s with elongate male catkins on the same plant as shorter female catkins, often before leaves appear; they are mainly [[wind-pollinated]], but also visited by bees to a small extent. These trees differ from the [[birch]]es (''Betula'', another genus in the family) in that the female catkins are woody and do not disintegrate at maturity, opening to release the seeds in a similar manner to many [[conifer cone]]s.

The largest species are [[red alder]] (''A. rubra'') on the west coast of North America, and [[Alnus glutinosa|black alder]] (''A. glutinosa''), [[Native species|native]] to most of Europe and widely introduced elsewhere, both reaching over {{convert|30|m|ft|-1}}. By contrast, the widespread ''[[Alnus alnobetula]]'' (green alder) is rarely more than a {{convert|5|m|ft|abbr=on|adj=mid|-tall}} shrub.

==Phylogeny==

=== Classification ===
{{multiple image
| image1            = Youngbullantlers.JPG
| caption1          = A young bull moose [[Browsing (herbivory)|browsing]] on Alnus in [[Homer, Alaska]] in 2010
| image2            = Big alders.jpg
| caption2          = The same spot from the same angle in 2021, the plants are now about {{convert|12-15|feet|order=flip}} in height
| footer_background = 
| footer_align      = <!-- left (default), center, right -->
| footer            = 
}}

The genus is divided into three subgenera:

==== Subgenus ''Alnus'' ====
[[File:Alnus incana rugosa leaves.jpg|right|thumb|Speckled alder (''Alnus incana'' subsp. ''rugosa'')—leaves]]
[[File:Alnus serrulata leaves.jpg|right|thumb|Leaves of the tag alder]]

Trees with stalked shoot buds, male and female catkins produced in autumn (fall) but stay closed over winter, pollinating in late winter or early spring, about 15–25 species, including:

{{Div col}}
* ''[[Alnus acuminata]]'' {{small|Kunth}} 
** subsp. ''acuminata'' {{small|Kunth}}
** subsp. ''arguta'' {{small|(Schltdl.) Furlow}}
** subsp. ''glabrata'' {{small|(Fernald) Furlow}}
* ''[[Alnus cordata]]''  {{small|(Loisel.) Duby}} 
* ''[[Alnus cremastogyne]]'' {{small|Burkill}} 
* ''[[Alnus firma]]'' {{small|Siebold & Zucc.}} 
* ''[[Alnus glutinosa]]'' {{small|(L.) Gaertn.}} 
** subsp. ''barbata'' {{small|(C.A.Mey.) Yalt.}}
** subsp. ''glutinosa'' {{small|(L.) Gaertn.}}
** subsp. ''incisa'' {{small|(Willd.) Regel}}
** subsp. ''laciniata'' {{small|(Willd.) Regel}}
* ''[[Alnus hirsuta]]'' {{small|(Spach) Rupr.}} 
* ''[[Alnus incana]]'' {{small|(L.) Moench}}
** subsp. ''incana'' {{small|(L.) Moench}}
** subsp. ''kolaensis'' {{small|(Orlova) Á.Löve & D.Löve}}
** subsp. ''rugosa'' {{small|(Du Roi) R.T.Clausen}}
** subsp. ''tenuifolia'' {{small|(Nutt.) Breitung}}
* ''[[Alnus japonica]]'' {{small|(Thunb.) Steud.}} 
* ''[[Alnus jorullensis]]'' {{small|Kunth}} 
** subsp. ''lutea'' {{small|Furlow}}	
** subsp. ''jorullensis'' {{small|Kunth}}
* ''[[Alnus lusitanica]]'' {{small|Vít, Douda, & Mandák}}<ref name="Vít-2017">{{cite journal |last1=Vít |first1=Petr |last2=Douda |first2=Jan |last3=Krak |first3=Karol |last4=Havrdová |first4=Alena |last5=Mandák |first5=Bohumil |year=2017 |title=Two new polyploid species closely related to ''Alnus glutinosa'' in Europe and North Africa – an analysis based on morphometry, karyology, flow cytometry and microsatellites |journal=Taxon |volume=66 |issue=3 |pages=567–583 |doi=10.12705/663.4}}</ref>
* ''[[Alnus matsumurae]]'' {{small|Callier}}
* ''[[Alnus nepalensis]]'' {{small|D.Don}} 
* ''[[Alnus oblongifolia]]'' {{small|Torr.}}
* ''[[Alnus orientalis]]'' {{small|Decne.}}
* ''[[Alnus rhombifolia]]'' {{small|Nutt.}} 
* ''[[Alnus rohlenae]]'' {{small|Vít, Douda, & Mandák}}<ref name="Vít-2017" />
* ''[[Alnus rubra]]'' {{small|Bong.}}
* ''[[Alnus serrulata]]''  {{small|(Aiton) Willd.}}
* ''[[Alnus subcordata]]''  {{small|C.A.Mey.}}
* ''[[Alnus tenuifolia]]'' {{small|Nutt.}}
* ''[[Alnus trabeculosa]]'' {{small|Hand.-Mazz.}}
{{Div col end}}

==== Subgenus ''Clethropsis'' ====
Trees or shrubs with stalked shoot buds, male and female catkins produced in autumn (fall) and expanding and pollinating then, three species:

* ''[[Alnus formosana]]'' {{small|(Burkill) Makino}}
* ''[[Alnus maritima]]'' {{small|(Marshall) Muhl. ex Nutt.}}
* ''[[Alnus nitida]]'' {{small|(Spach) Endl.}}

==== Subgenus ''Alnobetula'' ====
[[File:Alnus-viridis-leaves.JPG|right|thumb|Green alder (''Alnus viridis'')]]

Shrubs with shoot buds not stalked, male and female catkins produced in late spring (after leaves appear) and expanding and pollinating then, one to four species:

{{Div col}}
* ''[[Alnus alnobetula]]'' {{small|(Ehrh.) K.Koch}} (synonym-''Alnus viridis'')
** subsp. ''alnobetula'' {{small|(Ehrh.) K.Koch}}
** subsp. ''crispa'' {{small|(Aiton) Raus}}
** subsp. ''fruticosa'' {{small|(Rupr.) Raus}}
** subsp. ''sinuata'' {{small|(Regel) Raus}}
** subsp. ''suaveolens'' {{small|(Req.) Lambinon & Kerguélen}}
* ''[[Alnus firma]]'' {{small|Siebold & Zucc.}} 
* ''[[Alnus mandshurica]]'' {{small|(Callier) Hand.-Mazz.}}
* ''[[Alnus maximowiczii]]'' {{small|Callier}} 
* ''[[Alnus pendula]]'' {{small| Matsum.}} 
* ''[[Alnus sieboldiana]]'' {{small| Matsum.}} 
{{div col end}}

==== Not assigned to a subgenus ====
{{div col}}
* ''[[Alnus fauriei]]'' {{small|H.Lév. & Vaniot}} 
* ''[[Alnus ferdinandi-coburgii]]'' {{small|C.K.Schneid.}} 
* ''[[Alnus glutipes]]'' {{small|(Jarm. ex Czerpek) Vorosch.}}
* ''[[Alnus hakkodensis]]'' {{small|Hayashi}} 
* ''[[Alnus henryi]]'' {{small|C.K.Schneid.}}
* ''[[Alnus lanata]]'' {{small|Duthie ex Bean}} 
* ''[[Alnus mairei]]'' {{small|H.Lév.}} 
* ''[[Alnus paniculata]]'' {{small|Nakai}} 
* ''[[Alnus serrulatoides]]'' {{small|Callier}}
* ''[[Alnus vermicularis]]'' {{small|Nakai}}
{{div col end}}

==== Species names with uncertain taxonomic status ====
The status of the following species is unresolved:{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

{{Div col|colwidth=300px}}
* ''Alnus balatonialis'' {{small|Borbás}}
* ''Alnus cuneata'' {{small|Geyer ex Walp.}}
* ''Alnus dimitrovii'' {{small|Jordanov & Kitanov}}
* ''Alnus djavanshirii'' {{small|H.Zare}} – Iran
* ''Alnus dolichocarpa'' {{small|H.Zare, Amini & Assadi}} – Iran
* ''Alnus figerti'' {{small|Callier}}
* ''Alnus frangula'' {{small|L. ex Huth}}
* ''Alnus gigantea'' {{small|Nakai}}
* ''Alnus glandulosa'' {{small|Sarg.}}
* ''Alnus henedae'' {{small|Sugim.}}
* ''Alnus hybrida'' {{small|Rchb.}}
* ''Alnus laciniata'' {{small|Ehrh.}}
* ''Alnus lobata'' {{small|Nyman}}
* ''Alnus microphylla'' {{small|Arv.-Touv.}}
* ''Alnus obtusifolia'' {{small|Mert. ex Regel}}
* ''Alnus oxyacantha'' {{small|Lavalle}}
* ''Alnus subrotunda'' {{small|Desf.}}
* ''Alnus vilmoriana'' {{small|Lebas}}
* ''Alnus washingtonia'' {{small|Wetzel}}
{{Div col end}}

==== Hybrids ====
[[File:AlnusXspaethii.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Alnus x spaethii|Alnus × spaethii]]'']]

The following hybrids have been described:<ref name="PlantList">{{cite web |date=September 2013 |title=The Plant List entry for ''Alnus'' |url=http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Betulaceae/Alnus/ |access-date=14 December 2020 |website=[[The Plant List]], v.1.1 |publisher=[[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] and the [[Missouri Botanical Garden]]}}</ref><ref name="Govaerts-2017">{{cite web |author=Govaerts R |title=''Alnus'' Mill. |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30000643-2 |access-date=14 December 2020 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew}}</ref>

{{Div col}}
* ''[[Alnus × elliptica]]'' {{small|Req.}} (''A. cordata'' × ''A. glutinosa'')
* ''[[Alnus × fallacina]]''  {{small|Callier}} (''A. incana'' subsp. ''rugosa'' × ''A. serrulata'')
* ''[[Alnus × hanedae]]'' {{small|Suyinata}} (''A. firma'' × ''A. sieboldiana'')
* ''[[Alnus × hosoii]]'' {{small|Mizush.}} (''A. maximowiczii'' × ''A. pendula'')
* ''[[Alnus × mayrii]]'' {{small|Callier}} (''A. hirsuta'' × ''A. japonica'')
* ''[[Alnus × peculiaris]]'' {{small|Hiyama}} (''A. firma'' × ''A. pendula'')
* ''[[Alnus × pubescens]]'' {{small|Tausch.}} (''A. glutinosa'' × ''A. incana'')
* ''[[Alnus × suginoi]]'' {{small|Sugim.}}
{{Div col end}} 

The status of the following hybrids is unresolved:<ref name="PlantList" />

{{Div col|colwidth=300px}}
* ''Alnus'' × ''aschersoniana'' {{small|Callier}}
* ''Alnus'' × ''koehnei'' {{small|Callier}}
* ''Alnus'' × ''ljungeri'' {{small|Murai}}
* ''Alnus'' × ''purpusii'' {{small|Callier}}
* ''Alnus'' × ''silesiaca'' {{small|Fiek}}
* ''Alnus'' × ''spaethii'' {{small|Callier}} (''A. japonica'' × ''A. subcordata'')
{{Div col end}}

===Fossil record===
The oldest fossil pollen that can be identified as ''Alnus'' is from northern [[Bohemia]], dating to the late [[Paleocene]], around 58 million years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Yang |first1=Xiao-Yue |last2=Wang |first2=Ze-Fu |last3=Luo |first3=Wen-Chun |last4=Guo |first4=Xin-Yi |last5=Zhang |first5=Cai-Hua |last6=Liu |first6=Jian-Quan |last7=Ren |first7=Guang-Peng |date=September 2019 |title=Plastomes of Betulaceae and phylogenetic implications |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jse.12479 |journal=Journal of Systematics and Evolution |language=en |volume=57 |issue=5 |pages=508–518 |doi=10.1111/jse.12479 |issn=1674-4918 |s2cid=91509152|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

{{Div col |colwidth=50em}}
* †''[[Alnus fairi]]'' {{small|([[Frank Knowlton|Knowlton]]) Wolfe, 1966}} - Miocene; Western North America<ref name="Wolfe-1966">{{cite report |last1=Wolfe |first1=J.A. |year=1966 |title=Tertiary plants from the Cook Inlet region, Alaska |series= Professional Paper |publisher=United States Geological Survey |volume=398B |pages=1–32  |doi=10.3133/pp398B |doi-access=free }}</ref>
* [[Extinction|†]]''[[Alnus heterodonta]]'' {{small|(Newberry) Meyer & Manchester 1987}} – Oligocene; Fossil, Oregon
* †''[[Alnus hollandiana]]'' {{small|Jennings, 1920}} - Miocene; Western North America<ref name="Chaney-1959">{{cite book |last1=Chaney |first1=R. |last2=Axelrod |first2=D. |year=1959 |title=Miocene Floras of the Columbia Plateau: Part II. Systematic Considerations, by Ralph W. Chaney and Daniel I. Axelrod |publisher= Carnegie Institution of Washington |pages=1–226}}{{HathiTrust Catalog|uc1.c099384505|Miocene Floras of the Columbia Plateau}}</ref>
* †''[[Alnus largei]]'' {{small|([[Frank Knowlton|Knowlton]]) Wolfe, 1966}} - Miocene; Western North America<ref name="Wolfe-1966"/>
* †''[[Alnus parvifolia]]'' {{small|([[Edward W. Berry|Berry]]) [[Jack A. Wolfe|Wolfe]] & [[Wesley Wehr|Wehr]], 1987}} - Ypresian; [[Eocene Okanagan Highlands|Okanagan Highlands]]<ref name="Wolfe-1987">{{cite report |last1=Wolfe |first1=J. A. |last2= Wehr |first2=W. C. |year=1987 |title=Middle Eocene dicotyledonous plants from Republic, northeastern Washington |series= Bulletin |publisher=United States Geological Survey |volume=1597 |pages=1–25  |doi=10.3133/b1597 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
* †''[[Alnus relatus]]'' {{small|(Knowlton) [[Roland W. Brown|Brown]], 1937}} - Miocene; Western North America<ref name="Wolfe-1966"/>
{{Div col end}}

=== Etymology ===
The common name ''alder'' evolved from the Old English word ''alor'', which in turn is derived from [[Proto-Germanic]] root ''aliso''.<ref name="Harper">{{cite web |last=Harper |first=Douglas |title=alder {{!}} Etymology, origin and meaning of alder by etymonline |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/alder#etymonline_v_8122 |access-date=22 March 2022 |website=[[Online Etymology Dictionary]]}}</ref> The generic name ''Alnus'' is the equivalent [[Latin]] name, from whence French ''aulne'' and Spanish ''Alamo'' (Spanish term for "[[Populus|poplar]]").<ref name="Harper" />

== Ecology ==
Alders are commonly found near streams, rivers, and wetlands. Sometimes where the prevalence of alders is particularly prominent these are called [[alder carr]]s. In the [[Pacific Northwest]] of North America, the [[Alnus rhombifolia|white alder]] (''Alnus rhombifolia'') unlike other northwest alders, has an affinity for warm, dry climates, where it grows along watercourses, such as along the lower [[Columbia River]] east of the Cascades and the Snake River, including Hells Canyon.

Alder leaves and sometimes catkins are used as food by numerous butterflies and moths.

''A. glutinosa'' and ''A. viridis'' are classed as environmental weeds in New Zealand.<ref>{{cite book|last=Clayson|first=Howell|title=Consolidated list of environmental weeds in New Zealand|publisher=Department of Conservation|location=Wellington|date=May 2008|isbn=978-0-478-14412-3}}</ref> Alder leaves and especially the roots are important to the ecosystem because they [[Nitrogen fixation|enrich the soil with nitrogen]] and other nutrients.

=== Nitrogen fixation and succession of woodland species===
[[Image:Alnus_rubra_seeds.jpg|right|thumb|A red alder seed is a tiny [[samara (fruit)|samara]] like those of all alders]]

Alder is particularly noted for its important [[symbiosis|symbiotic]] relationship with ''[[Frankia alni]]'', an [[actinomycete]], [[Filamentation|filamentous]], nitrogen-fixing [[bacteria|bacterium]]. This bacterium is found in [[root nodule]]s, which may be as large as a human fist, with many small lobes, and light brown in colour. The bacterium absorbs [[nitrogen]] from the air and makes it available to the tree. Alder, in turn, provides the bacterium with [[sugar]]s, which it produces through [[photosynthesis]]. As a result of this mutually beneficial relationship, alder improves the [[Fertility (soil)|fertility of the soil]] where it grows, and as a [[pioneer species]], it helps provide additional nitrogen for the [[Ecological succession|successional]] species to follow.

Because of its abundance, red alder delivers large amounts of nitrogen to enrich forest soils. Red alder stands have been found to supply between {{convert|130|and|320|kg/ha|lb/acre|abbr=off}} of nitrogen annually to the soil. From Alaska to Oregon, ''Alnus viridis'' subsp. ''sinuata'' (''A. sinuata'', Sitka alder or slide alder), characteristically pioneer fresh, gravelly sites at the foot of retreating glaciers. Studies show that Sitka alder, a more shrubby variety of alder, adds nitrogen to the soil at an average rate of {{convert|60|kg/ha|lb/acre|abbr=on}} per year, helping convert the sterile glacial terrain to soil capable of supporting a conifer forest. Alders are common among the first species to colonize disturbed areas from floods, windstorms, fires, landslides, etc. Alder groves often serve as natural firebreaks since these broad-leaved trees are much less flammable than conifers. Their foliage and [[leaf litter]] does not carry a fire well, and their thin bark is sufficiently resistant to protect them from light surface fires. In addition, the light weight of alder seeds{{Snd}}numbering {{convert|1.5|e6/kg|/lb|abbr=off|disp=or}}{{Snd}}allows for easy dispersal by the wind.  Although it outgrows [[coastal Douglas-fir]] for the first 25 years, it is very [[Shade tolerance|shade intolerant]] and seldom lives more than 100 years. Red alder is the Pacific Northwest's largest alder and the most plentiful and commercially important broad-leaved tree in the coastal Northwest. Groves of red alder {{convert|25|to|50|cm|6=0}} in diameter intermingle with young Douglas-fir forests west of the Cascades, attaining a maximum height of {{convert|30|to|33|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}} in about sixty years, and then are afflicted by [[heart rot]]. Alders largely help create conditions favorable for giant conifers that replace them.<ref name="Arno-2020" />

<gallery caption="Alder root nodules" height="250" mode="packed">
An alder root nodule gall.JPG|alt=An alder root nodule|Whole root nodule
A sectioned alder root nodule gall.JPG|alt=A sectioned alder root nodule|Sectioned root nodules
</gallery>

=== Parasites ===
Alder roots are parasitized by [[Boschniakia rossica|northern groundcone]].

== Uses ==
[[File:Wappen at grossarl.png|thumb|right|Alder coat of arms of [[Grossarl]], [[Austria]]]]

The catkins of some alder species have a degree of edibility,<ref name="PFAF">{{cite web|url=http://www.pfaf.org/user/DatabaseSearhResult.aspx|title=Plant Search Result, see e.g. Alnus rubra|website=pfaf.org |access-date=17 November 2020}}</ref> and may be rich in protein. Reported to have a bitter and unpleasant taste, they are more useful for survival purposes. The wood of certain alder species is often used to smoke various food items such as [[coffee]], [[salmon]], and other seafood.

Alder is notably stable when immersed, and has been used for millennia as a material for [[Timber pilings|pilings]] for piers and wharves. Most of the pilings that form the foundation of [[Venice]] were made from alder trees.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Nakasako|first1=Eric|title=A Look at Venice: Past and Present|url=http://illumin.usc.edu/130/a-look-at-venice-past-and-present/|website=Illumin|publisher=University of Southern California|access-date=22 January 2018}}</ref>

Alder bark contains the anti-inflammatory [[salicin]], which is metabolized into [[salicylic acid]] in the body.<ref>{{cite book |first=Susan |last=Ewing |title=The Great Alaska Nature Factbook: A Guide to the State's Remarkable Animals, Plants, and Natural Features |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=abLCCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT142 |date=2012 |publisher=Graphic Arts Books |isbn=978-0-88240-868-2 |pages=106, 142 |edition=2nd}}</ref> Some Native American cultures use red alder bark (''[[Alnus rubra]]'') to treat poison oak, insect bites, and skin irritations. Blackfeet Indians have traditionally used an infusion made from the bark of red alder to treat lymphatic disorders and [[tuberculosis]]. Recent clinical studies have verified that red alder contains [[betulin]] and [[lupeol]], compounds shown to be effective against a variety of tumors.<ref>{{cite book |title=Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West |first=Gregory L. |last=Tilford |year=1997 |publisher=Mountain Press |isbn=0-87842-359-1}}</ref>

The inner bark of the alder, as well as [[red osier dogwood]], or [[chokecherry]], is used by some [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas]] in smoking mixtures, known as ''kinnikinnick'', to improve the taste of the [[bearberry]] leaf.<ref>{{cite web |last=Staff |year=2009 |url=http://lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=1355 |title=Bearberry |work=Discovering Lewis and Clark |publisher=The Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation |access-date=29 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218093355/http://lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=1355 |archive-date=18 December 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Alder is illustrated in the coat of arms for the Austrian town of [[Grossarl]].

Electric guitars, most notably those manufactured by the [[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation]], have been built with alder bodies since the 1950s. Alder is appreciated for its tone that is claimed to be tight and evenly balanced, especially when compared to mahogany, and has been adopted by many electric guitar manufacturers. It usually is finished in opaque lacquer ([[nitrocellulose]], [[polyurethane]], or [[polyester]]), as it does not have a prominent grain.

As a [[hardwood]], alder is used in making furniture, cabinets, and other woodworking products. In these applications, its aforementioned lack of prominent grain means that it is often [[Wood veneer|veneer]]ed, either by stained light woods such as oak, ash, or figured maple, or by darker woods such as teak or walnut.

Alder bark and wood (like [[oak]] and [[sweet chestnut]]) contain [[tannin]] and are traditionally used to tan leather.

A red dye can also be extracted from the outer bark, and a yellow dye from the inner bark.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/ethnobotany/dyes.shtml|title=Native Plant Dyes|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service|access-date=17 December 2014}}</ref>

== Culture ==
[[Ermanno Olmi]]'s movie ''[[The Tree of Wooden Clogs]]'' (''L' Albero Degli Zoccoli'', 1978) refers in its title to alder, typically used to make clogs as in this movie's plot.<ref>[http://www.officinadellambiente.com/it/articolo.php?idl1=0&idl2=0&id=3320 PRESSO LA RIVA: L'ONTANO] (''tr. AT THE SHORE: THE ALDER''), December 2015 ''www.officinadellambiente.com'', accessed 17 November 2020</ref><ref>[http://uomoenatura.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Ontano-nero.pdf Ontano nero] (''tr. Black Alder'') accessed 17 November 2020 ''uomoenatura.it''</ref>
{{Clear}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=Zhiduan |last2=Li |first2=Jianhua |date=March 2004 |title=Phylogenetics and Biogeography of ''Alnus'' (Betulaceae) Inferred from Sequences of Nuclear Ribosomal DNA ITS Region |url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/382795 |journal=International Journal of Plant Sciences |volume=165 |issue=2 |pages=325–335 |doi=10.1086/382795 |s2cid=85579093|url-access=subscription }}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons}}
{{Wikispecies|Alnus}}
* [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Alnus&SPECIES_XREF=&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= Flora Europaea: ''Alnus'']
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=40&taxon_id=101157 Flora of Bolivia: ''Alnus'']
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=101157 Flora of China: ''Alnus'']
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=101157 Flora of North America: ''Alnus'']
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=101157 Flora of Pakistan: ''Alnus'']

{{Tannin source}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q25239}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Alnus| ]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Philip Miller]]