Betula glandulosa : Dwarf Birch

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Betulaceae (Birch Family)

Genera: Betula (Birches) (Latin name for birch. A very ancient name. Perhaps from Celtic betu=tree.)

Species: glandulosa (Lat. glandula=tonsil, diminutive of glans=acorn.)

Synonym(s): B. nana

English Name(s):

Dwarf Birch, Ground Birch, Bog Birch, Scrub Birch, Buckbrush

First Nation Names:

luu t'an

Structure:

• Plants are monoecious(bi-sexual).
• Twigs often dotted with wart-like glands.
• Shrubs with one to several main stems. 0.3-2.0 meters tall.
• Twigs densely covered with yellowish, crystaline, resin glands.

Leaves:

• Alternate, simple (not compound, or lobed).
• Venation pinnate with secondary viens paired.
• Orbicular to obovate in shape. Margins crenate (round toothed).
• On short petiole (stalk), blades 1-2.5cm long, 0.5-2.0cm wide.

Reproductive Parts:

• Flowers imperfect (single gendered) in catkins.
• Fruiting catkins (female catkins) deciduous.
• Male catkins1-4 per bud, male flowers in clusters of 3, with 2 stamens per flower,
• Female catkins 7-20mm long 3-8mm thick. Erect.

Seed:

• Fruit are numerous small single seeded nutlets.
• Nutlets winged.
• Nutlet wings about 1/4 width of nutlet.

Not to Be Confused With:

• Can hybridize with B.occidentalis (Water Birch) resulting in much variation. And some confusion.

Physiology:

• All of our birches can hybridize with eachother.
• When B.glandulosa (Dwarf Birch) hybridizes with B.papyrifera (Paper Birch) the result is a shrub/tree that is very much like B.occidentalis (Water Birch). It has been suggested that B.occidentalis may be of hybrid origin.

Life Cycle:

• Long lived perennial.

Seasonal Cycle:

• Catkins appear before the leaves.
• leaves deciduous.
• Leaves turn bright red in autumn.

Animal Uses:

• Buds are food for grouse and ptarmigan in winter but are generally unpalatable to larger mammals such as moose.

Habitat:

• Low-arctic tundra, heathlands, open woods, wooland muskeg, and peat bogs.
• Often forming dense thickets.

Modern:

Industrial:

• Branches can be used as matting under ones bedding when camping.
• Leaves produce a yellow dye and branches give a warm tan colour.

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

• Is used as flooring in tents. When placed with spruce bows, it keeps the spruce fresh longer.

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

• According to Sweedish legend the Dwarf Birch is stunted in shame because it was used as the rod that scourged christ.
• Folk sometimes used to place branches of this shrub on a trail behind them to keep bad luck away.

Industrial:

• Leaves produce a yellow dye.

Medicinal:

• Leaves in decoction have been used as a remedy for stomach aches and intestinal discomfort by the Inuit.
• Plants were burned on the skin as a counter irritant, regard as an effective remedy for all painful diseases.

Food: