Betula alnoides


Betula alnoides is a species of birch that is native to countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam, at elevations of and higher in some cases. It is the southernmost of all known birch species, whose natural range reaches approximately 12° N in Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia.

Description

The plant is tall with white coloured branches. It has long petioles and has a long leaf blade that is lanceolate, ovate, papery, and even elliptic. The female inflorescences is a pendulous and cylindric raceme, that, by time it matures, reaches a diameter of by. The peduncle is long while the diameter of the bracts is only. The seeds are ripe from March to May and are long while the flowers bloom from October to January.

Uses

Betula alnoides inner bark is edible and is used for making cakes and bread. It is also considered to be an antidote against snakebites and is used to treat dislocated bones.