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Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/ oak family, Fagaceae. These are generally small to medium-size trees or shrubs, mostly of northern temperate climates. The simple leaves may be toothed or lobed. The fruit is a small samara, although the wings may be obscure in some species. They differ from the alders (Alnus, the other genus in the family) in that the female catkins are not woody and disintegrate at maturity, falling apart to release the seeds, unlike the woody cone-like female alder catkins.
In times past, commercial oil of wintergreen ( methyl salicylateMethyl salicylate (also known as betula oil, oil of wintergreen methyl ester) ( chemical formula CH(HO)COOCH) is the natural extract of wintergreen. Structurally, it is methylated salicylic acid. It is used as a flavoring and as an ingredient in deep heat) was made from the sweet birch (Betula lenta).
Birches of North AmericaNorth America is the third largest continent in area and the fourth ranked in population. It is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific Ocea include:
- Betula allegheniensis - Yellow birch (B. lutea)
- Betula cordifolia - Mountain paper birch
- Betula glandulosa - American dwarf birch
- Betula lenta - Sweet birch or Cherry birch
- Betula lenta subsp. uber - Cherry Creek birch (endemic, Cherry Creek, Smythe Co., VA)
- Betula michauxii - Newfoundland dwarf birch
- Betula neoalaskana - Alaska birch or Yukon birch
- Betula nigra - River birch or Black birch
- Betula occidentalis - Water birch or Red birch (B. fontinalis)
- Betula papyrifera - Paper birch , Canoe birch or White birch
- Betula populifolia - Gray birch
- Betula pumila - Swamp birch
EuropeFor the band of the same name, see Europe (band . Europe is a continent forming the westermost part of the Eurasian supercontinent. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Sean and South West Asia n birches include:
- Betula medwediewii - Caucasian birch
- Betula nana - Dwarf birch (also in Asia)
- Betula pendula - Silver birch
- Betula pubescens - White birch, European white birch or Downy birch (also in northern Asia)
- Betula pubescens subsp. tortuosa - Arctic white birch (subarctic Eurasia, Greenland)
- Many American texts appear to have B. pendula and B. pubescens confused, though they are distinct species with different chromosome numbers
AsiaThe continent of Asia is defined by subtracting Europe and Africa from the great land mass of Africa-Eurasia. The boundaries are vague, especially between Asia and Europe: Asia and Africa meet somewhere near the Suez Canal. The boundary between Asia and En birches include:
- Betula albosinensis - Chinese red birch
- Betula albosinensis var. septentrionalis - North Chinese red birch
- Betula alnoides - Alder-leaf birch
- Betula austrosinensis - South China birch
- Betula chinensis - Chinese dwarf birch
- Betula ermanii - Erman's birch
- Betula grossa - Japanese cherry birch
- B. jacquemontii (Betula utilis subsp. jacquemontii) - White-barked Himalayan birch
- Betula mandschurica - Manchurian birch
- Betula mandschurica var. japonica - Japanese birch
- Betula maximowiczii - Monarch birch
- Betula platyphylla (Betula pendula var. platyphylla) - Siberian silver birch
- Betula szechuanica (Betula pendula var. szechuanica) - Sichuan birch
- Betula utilis - Himalayan birch
Closeup of Silver Birch bark
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