Betula pendula Roth

Spice Male flowers In the field

Family: BETULACEAE

Genus: Betula

Catalan common name: Beç. Bedoll. Bedoll comú.

Spanish common name: Abedul. Abedul blanco.

Province distribution: Barcelona. Girona. Lleida.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Eurosiberian

Uses and properties: Edible or foodstuffs. Furniture, construction and tools. Medicinal.

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Macrophanerophyte. Semicaducifolious.

Habitats: Fir forest and beech forest. Pinus sylvestris forest.

Characteristics: Deciduous forests, not very dense and clearings of moist forests. Generally forms part of mixed forests, but in some cases can arrive to be the predominate species. A monoaceous deciduous tree up to 30 m in height. Has a whitish and papery bark. The leaves are ovate-deltoid, biserrate, glabrous and acuminate. The flowers are grouped in unisexual aments or catkins. The males are pendulous and elongate, with a scaly perianth. The females are cylindrical and the flowers have no perianth whatsoever. The fruit is a winged achene.