Rhamnus alnifolia f. angustifolia D.Löve & J.-P.Bernard
Rhamnus alpina Richardson
Rhamnus franguloides Michx.
Rhamnus alnifolia is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family known by the common names alderleaf buckthorn,[1] or alder buckthorn. Unlike other "buckthorns", this alder buckthorn does not have thorns.[2] It is native to North America, and can be found in forested habitat.
Description
Rhamnus alnifolia is a spreading shrub usually 0.5 to 1.5 metres (20 to 59 inches) tall,[3] rarely to 2 m (6+1⁄2 ft), its thin branches bearing deciduous leaves.[4] The thin, deeply veined leaves have oval blades 4.5 to 11 centimetres (1+3⁄4 to 4+3⁄8 in) long, pointed at the tip and lightly toothed along the edges.[3] The inflorescence is a solitary flower or umbel of up to three flowers occurring in leaf axils. The tiny flowers are about 1 millimetre (1⁄16 in) wide[4] and have five green sepals but no petals.[5] Female flowers produce drupes 6 to 8 mm (1⁄4 to 5⁄16 in) wide, each containing three seeds. The drupes darken to black when ripe.[3]
Distribution and habitat
It can be found in the southern half of Canada and the northern half of the United States,[6][7] mostly in the Pacific Northwest. It grows in streambanks and on humid flats near mountains.[8]
Uses
The berry is inedible.[8] Native Americans used the species as a laxative.[9]
^Catling, P.M., and Z.S. Porebski. 1994. The history of invasion and current status of glossy buckthorn, Rhamnus frangula, in Southern Ontario. Canadian Field-Naturalist 108:305–310
