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Alnus nepalensis

D.Don (1825)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Fagales Family: Betulaceae Genus: Alnus

Nepal alder

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Trees to 15 m tall; bark gray or dark gray, smooth, deciduous.

Stems: Branchlets dark brown, sparsely yellow pubescent when young, glabrescent. Buds stipitate, with 2 glabrous, ribbed scales.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades obovate–lanceolate, obovate–oblong, ovate, or elliptic, 4–16 × 2.5–10 cm. Apex abrupt or acute, rarely acuminate. Base cuneate or broadly cuneate, rarely subrounded. Upper surfaces glabrous; lower surfaces with dense, resinous glands, yellow pubescent along veins, bearded in axils of lateral veins. Margins entire or remotely minutely serrate. Veins pinnate, lateral veins 8–16 on each side of midvein. Petioles robust, 1–2.5 cm, subglabrous. Stipules present.

Flowers: Flowers in female inflorescences numerous, in a panicle, ellipsoid, 2–2.2 cm × 7–8 mm; peduncle robust, 2–8 mm, glabrous; bracts ca. 4 mm, woody, persistent, base cuneate, apex rounded, 5-lobed. male inflorescence elongate, pendulous, cylindric, with numerous overlapping bracts, each bract subtending several bracteoles and 3 flowers; calyx 4-lobed; stamens (1–)4; anthers 2-loculed, thecae connate, apex glabrous. Flowers unisexual and plants monoecious. Calyx (sepals) 4-lobed in staminate plants; absent in pistillate plants. Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens 4. Ovary superior.

Fruit: Nutlets 2 in each bract axil; oblong; ca. 2 mm; compressed; with membranous wings ca. ½ as wide as nutlet. Seeds 1 per fruit; with straight embryo; without endosperm.

Ploidy: 2n = 28; 56

Habitat: Riverbanks or village margins; often forming pure stands.

Elevation Range: 200–2800 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Only found in cultivation
O'ahu Only found in cultivation
Molokai Naturalized
Hawai'i Only found in cultivation

Dispersal Agents

Wind
Forestry

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Prodr. Fl. Nepal.: 58 (1825)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:386 (Mo? [possibly nat.]); Wysong et al. 2007:3 (NEWNAT/Mo)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Alnus nepalensis Kamakou Preserve mesic forest Preserved_Specimen tree to 8 m Annable, C.R. 3797 Molokai BISH 1998-02-06
2 Alnus nepalensis Above Waimea. Beyond 1st reservoir Forest planting. Preserved_Specimen Tree 30-40 ft., trunk 2 ft Diameter. Rock, J.F.C. Hawaii BISH 1958-10-04
3 Alnus nepalensis Growing along road to State Park near Hanalilolilo Trail Also planted along the road are Cunninghamia, Sugi, Cuba bast, and Podocarpus. Preserved_Specimen Plantings, at least 10' tall. Davis, J. 845 Molokai BISH 1982-05-27
4 Alnus nepalensis Along jeep road past the Waikolu Lookout Introduced; growing along jeep road. Preserved_Specimen Small tree, 10 m. Davis, J. 58 Molokai BISH 1978-10-08
5 Alnus nepalensis Upper Kaunakakai Gulch From old forestry plantings along unimproved rd and possibly sparingly naturalized. Preserved_Specimen Tree. Oppenheimer, H.L. 110603 Molokai BISH 2006-11-01
6 Alnus nepalensis Molokai Forest Reserve, road up W. side Introduced. Metrosideros forest. Preserved_Specimen Tree 30 ft., 1 ft. diam., planted. Little Jr., E.L. 31216 Molokai BISH 1976-09-15
7 Alnus nepalensis In a state Forestry planting between Puu Lala and Waima Valley along the upper Hamakua Ditch Trail Plantings were damaged by the recent heavy winds - many windfalls and large amount of new detritus. Preserved_Specimen Clarke, G. 296 Hawaii BISH 1980-01-13
8 Alnus nepalensis Kohala, At head of Alakahi Valley Rainswept plateau. Preserved_Specimen With very immature aments. Degener, O. 20059 Hawaii BISH 1949-08-27
9 Alnus nepalensis Kalaupapa; Kamakou Preserve, forest road on W rim of Waikolu Preserved_Specimen tree Wysong, M.L. 473 Molokai BISH 2004-11-22
10 Alnus nepalensis South Kohala District, Waiaka Preserved_Specimen Tree. Herbst, D.R. 5488 Hawaii BISH 1975-09-25
11 Alnus nepalensis Molokai Forest Reserve. Kamoku Flats area Preserved_Specimen Medium-sized tree. Herbst, D.R. 5111 Molokai BISH 1974-11-13
12 Alnus nepalensis H.L.Lyon Arboretum Tree. Section 23, Row 7, Tree 3 Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 4010 Oahu BISH 1974-04-22
13 Alnus nepalensis Pepeekeo Preserved_Specimen Seeds only. Fung, A.F. Hawaii BISH 1944-12-22
14 Alnus nepalensis Lihue District, Land of Wailua, Lihue-Koloa Forest Reserve, along jeep road to irrigation intake dam on north fork of Wailua River Preserved_Specimen Tree 45 Ft. tall with a 12 inch DBH. Herbst, D.R. 5556 Kauai BISH 1975-11-17
15 Alnus nepalensis South Kohala District: Kohala Mts., Kohala Forest Reserve, Upper Hamakua Ditch Trail, near the head of Alakahi Stream Planted along ditch in wet forest. Preserved_Specimen Tree, 10 m. Lammers, T.G. 5754 Hawaii BISH 1985-06-23
16 Alnus nepalensis Lihue District: land of Wailua, Lihue-koloa Forest Reserve, along jeep road to irrigation intake dam on North Fork of Wailua River Forestry planting. Preserved_Specimen Tree 45 ft. tall with a 12 inch DBH. Herbst, D.R. 5556 Kauai BISH 1975-11-17
17 Alnus nepalensis Manoa Valley, near head, arboretum of H.S.P.A Preserved_Specimen Caum, E.L. Oahu BISH 1930-12-11
18 Alnus nepalensis Kohala Forest Reserve, Kohala Mts., 5 miles north of Waimea In Plantation, introduced. Preserved_Specimen Tree 90 ft., 20 inches diameter. Little Jr., E.L. 31073 Hawaii BISH 1976-08-18
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