Alnus nitida

Alnus nitida, the west Himalayan alder, is a species in the genus Alnus, native to Pakistan, the western Himalayas, and Nepal.[3] It is a tree reaching 20 to 25 m, preferring to live along the banks of rivers. It is used locally for timber and firewood, and as a street tree.[4] The bark is used in some places for tanning and dyeing purposes.[5] It grows well in heavy, clay soils and tolerates infertile soils.[6] The leaves are thin, oval to ovate, 3-6 inches long and 2-3 inches wide.[7] Female flowers appear first, followed by male catkinss in September to October, which may be up to 19 cm long.[5] The fruits are woody cones, typically 2.5-3.5 cm long.[8]

Alnus nitida
Botanical illustration
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Betulaceae
Genus: Alnus
Species:
A. nitida
Binomial name
Alnus nitida
Synonyms[3]

Clethropsis nitida Spach

This tree may be attacked by the apple stem borer (Trirachys holosericeus).[9]

In some places, the bark is used as an anti-inflammatory. One study examined its chemical components and concluded it has antioxidant potential.[10]

References
  1. Shaw K, Roy S, Wilson B (2014). "Alnus nitida". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T194659A2356455. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T194659A2356455.en. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  2. Gen. Pl., Suppl. 4(2): 20 (1847)
  3. "Alnus nitida (Spach) Endl". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  4. Khan MK, Muhammad N, Uddin N, Ali N, Umer M, Ullah S (2020). "Genetic diversity in threatened plant species Alnus nitida (Spach.) Endel". Plant Science Today. 7 (3): 314–318. doi:10.14719/pst.2020.7.3.759.
  5. "Alnus nitida in Flora of Pakistan @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  6. "Alnus nitida - Useful Temperate Plants". temperate.theferns.info. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  7. "Alnus nitida - Trees and Shrubs Online". treesandshrubsonline.org. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  8. "Fact Sheet: Alnus nitida". idtools.org. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  9. "Alnus nitida (West Himalayan alder)". www.cabi.org. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  10. Sajid M, Khan MR, Shah NA, Shah SA, Ismail H, Younis T, Zahra Z (August 2016). "Phytochemical, antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Alnus nitida bark in carbon tetrachloride challenged Sprague Dawley rats". BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 16 (1): 268. doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1245-3. PMC 4972964. PMID 27488054.


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