Alnus subcordata, the Caucasian alder,[1] is a species in the family Betulaceae, prevalent in the Hyrcanian woodlands situated in the Caspian Mountains of northern Iran and southeast Azerbaijan.[2][3] It is closely related to the Italian alder (A. cordata) and Alnus orientalis.[1]

Alnus subcordata
In Azerbaijan
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Betulaceae
Genus: Alnus
Subgenus: Alnus subg. Alnus
Species:
A. subcordata
Binomial name
Alnus subcordata

It thrives across altitudes from sea level up to 2000 meters. This tree exhibits rapid growth in its natural habitat, predominantly river valleys. While it showcases adaptability to a diverse range of ecological conditions, it also demonstrates an ability to flourish in various growth habitats, particularly those at higher elevations.[3]

It is a deciduous tree growing to 15–25 m tall, with similar glossy green cordate leaves 5–15 cm long. The flowers are catkins, the male catkins very slender, 8–15 cm long, the female catkins small, maturing into a woody cone-like fruit 2–3 cm long containing numerous small winged seeds.[citation needed]

Two varieties have been recorded:[4]

  • Alnus subcordata var. subcordata C.A. Mey.
  • Alnus subcordata var. villosa (Regel) H.J.P.Winkl

Uses

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It is a commercially valuable species with "widespread application in timber and furniture industries".[2] It has a calorific value of about 4.6 cal/g.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b Colagar, A. H., Yousefzadeh, H., Shayanmehr, F., Jalali, S. G., Zare, H., & Tippery, N. P. (2016). Molecular taxonomy of Hyrcanian Alnus using nuclear ribosomal ITS and chloroplast trnH-psbA DNA barcode markers. Systematics and biodiversity, 14(1), 88–101. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14772000.2015.1102172
  2. ^ a b Rahimi, D., Kartoolinejad, D., Nourmohammadi, K., & Naghdi, R. (2016). Increasing drought resistance of Alnus subcordata CA Mey. seeds using a nano priming technique with multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Journal of Forest Science, 62(6), 269–278. https://www.agriculturejournals.cz/publicFiles/15_2016-JFS.pdf
  3. ^ a b Sjöman, Henrik; Levinsson, Anna; Emilsson, Tobias; Ibrahimova, Aida; Alizade, Valida; Douglas, Philip; Wiström, Björn (2021). "Evaluation of Alnus subcordata for urban environments through assessment of drought and flooding tolerance". Dendrobiology. 85: 39–50. doi:10.12657/denbio.085.005. ISSN 1641-1307.
  4. ^ Shayanmehr, F., JalaliI, S., Hosseinzadeh Colagar, A., Yousefzadeh, H., & Zare, H. (2015). Pollen morphology of the genus Alnus mill. In hyrcanian forests, north of iran. Applied ecology and environmental research, 13(3), 833–847. https://doi.org/10.15666/aeer/1303_833847