Betulaceae: Birch Family. Identify plants, flowers, shrubs and trees.

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Betulaceae: Birch Family Plant Identification Characteristics.

Betulaceae
Plants of the Birch Family

The Birch family includes deciduous trees and shrubs with simple, toothed, alternate leaves, with neatly pinnate veins. Male and female catkins form separately on the same bush (monoecious). Staminate (male) catkins have small flowers with either 0 or 4 sepals, 0 petals and 2 to 20 stamens. Pistillate (female) catkins also have numerous small flowers, each with 0 sepals and 0 petals. The catkins include bracts (modified leaves) that may be mistaken for sepals. The ovary is positioned inferior (some cannot be determined) and consists of 2 united carpels (bicarpellate) forming a single chamber. It matures as a nut or a winged seed.

Worldwide, there are 6 genera and approximately 150 species in this family, including filberts (also called hazelnuts) of the genus Corylus, which produce edible nuts. Members of the Birch family contain varying amounts of tannic acid, making them somewhat astringent and diuretic. North American genera are listed below.

Key Words: Trees or shrubs with cone-like catkins or nuts with attached bracts.

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Alnus incana. Mountain Alder.	Alnus incana. Mountain Alder.
Alnus viridis. Alder.	Betula occidentalis. Water Birch / Red Birch.
Corylus cornuta. Beaked Hazelnut. Photographed near Kettle Falls, Washington.	Corylus cornuta. Beaked Hazelnut.
Corylus americana. American Hazelnut.	Corylus americana. American Hazelnut.
Corylus americana. American Hazelnut.	Corylus americana. American Hazelnut.
Corylus americana. American Hazelnut.	Corylus maxima. Filbert.