Types of birches in Russia: description, photo

For Russians there is no tree native to birch. The word itself appeared in the VII century from the verb "cherish". For the ancient Slavs, the symbol of fertility, as well as the protector of people, was the deity, Bereginya, whom they represented in the form of a birch tree. In all likelihood, the name of the tree came to us from those ancient times. Do you know how many species of birches grow in Russia? Today we have to find out.

Description

Many species of birches represent trees, reaching a height of 30 to 45 meters, the trunk grows up to 150 centimeters in circumference, although large and small shrubs, including creepers, barely raised above the ground, occur. All members of the birch family are monoecious, dioecious, wind-pollinated plants.

The root system of trees of this genus is powerful, can be either superficial or obliquely outward (depending on the conditions of growth). The fading of the stem root of the sprout occurs quite rapidly, but the lateral ones with a huge number of thin, moss-shaped rootlets develop rapidly. In the early years, the birch grows very slowly, but over time it begins to strive upward, gaining victory over the grassy vegetation.

The bark of most species is white, yellow, pinkish or reddish-brown, although varieties with gray, brown and even black outer trunk are encountered. Cork cells are filled with easily peelable betuline (a resinous substance of white color). In tree-longevity quite often in the lower part of the trunk you can see a dark crust with a lot of deep cracks.

Leaves of representatives of the family birch alternate, jagged at the edges, whole, ovate-rhombic or triangular-ovate, smooth, monosymmetric, reach a length of 7 centimeters, width - 4.

Types of birches in Russia

We have considered a general description of representatives of this genus. Now I would like to dwell on some varieties in more detail. Do you know how many species of birch exist in the world? Biologists have about 120 varieties of slender, white-stemmed, light trees, in Russia there are about 65 varieties that differ in some features. It is not without reason that the birch became the symbol of our country.

In addition to the usual blond trees with long earrings, there are, it turns out, varieties of a completely different appearance. The most common types of birches in Russia are as hanging and furry, although there are trees in the territory of our country with bark of yellow, purple, cherry, gray, brown and black flowers. In these unique trees only experienced botanists will be able to recognize a representative of the genus Birch. So, for example, in the Far-Eastern taiga birch grows with a shaggy bark instead of birch bark. Also there are trees with a dark purple outer part of the trunk. This species was called the iron birch due to hardwood, the strength of which is second only to the bocciaut (a tree growing in the tropics).

Betula pendula

As we have already said, birch is a symbol of Russia. Types and varieties of the most common trees in our country, we will consider in the article. And let's start with a birch tree (warty). This tree in height can reach 30 meters with a trunk diameter of 60-80 centimeters. It is characterized by a delicate crown with hanging down shoots, snow-white or grayish-white bark with various cracks, the shape of which depends on the type of birch bark. In the lower part of the trunk, a coarse crust may form. Birches with a diamond-fractured form grow rapidly, respectively, with coarse-grained - slowly. The main feature of this species is the presence of small growths, the so-called warts on young branches. The most valuable variety of birch is Karelian.

Betula pubescens

Fluffy birch is a straight tree with outstretched branches, smooth bark of white or grayish color and hanging down young shoots. Especially appreciated kapovaya birch.

There is betula pubescens in almost all zones, except for extreme northern and southern areas, where shrub species of birches grow. Description of the area of growth of trees: the most common species of birches often grow in some forest parks, despite the fact that their ecological properties are different; For birch, the dry places on the hill are preferable, and for the fluffy ones - strongly moistened; Sometimes even found in swampy areas. These species of birches grow beautifully with deciduous and coniferous trees.

Mini-tree

What are the types of birches, except for the above-mentioned varieties on the expanses of our country? In addition to high-growth blond trees, dwarf birches grow in the mountains of Russia. Some species are found in the Altai Mountains and the mountainous terrain of Central Asia. Botanists have about 12 species of stunted trees growing all over the world. So, for example, in Altai you can admire small-leaved birch, on the Pamir-Altai - Altai and Turkestan, and in Tien Shan - with the birch of Sapozhnikov and Tien Shan.

Dwarf trees in our country are found in the Far North, mainly in the treeless landscape of the subarctic belt of the northern hemisphere with characteristic moss-lichen vegetation and mountain tundra in the eastern part of Siberia. The most common low-birch birches include a dwarfish, lean, Middendorf birch and Komarov.

Some species are so small that they are inferior in height to mushroom-pads. In certain areas, you can find dwarf trees, in appearance more resembling shrubs: birch Kuzmishchev, Gmelin, short, crafty, oval-leaved and Far Eastern. They grow mainly in forest-tidal zones, in marshy areas in the forest.

Daurian birch

Darker species of trees are widespread in the Far East, although some of them can be admired in Eastern Siberia. These include the Daurian birch. A tree with an openwork crown grows to 25 m in height. The main difference from other species is the original bark: in young birch she has a pinkish hue, in old ones it is dark gray, less often black and brown, with cracks along the fibers. Beresta can periodically exfoliate and partially fall off, the remaining part, which hangs in patches, creates a curly effect. Dark-green birch leaves of the Daurian (black) oval form by autumn acquire a yellowish-brown tinge. Blooming begins immediately after the leaves begin to bloom. The duration of the growing season is shorter than that of other species.

Birch groves

In the mountains of the Black Sea coast to the south of Tuapse and the Rion basin there are small forest areas of the Medvedev birch. Due to the good rooting of the branches, this species often grows on the slopes, new daughter trees are formed from the rooted shoots.

An unusual view of a grove formed by the Radda birch with a red-pink birch bark. The only representative of sharp trees in Russia is Maksimovich birch, found only on the southernmost island of Kunashir (the Kuril ridge).

Moscow collection

In the main botanical garden of the capital of the collection are only two varieties of North American dark-brown trees. How they do not look like our white-white species of birches! Only the presence of numerous earrings, typical for this plant, indicate that our sister of our birch bark is before us. Also there are trees with golden shiny birch bark. This is one of the North American species.

Now you know how many species of birch grows on the whole globe and that Russia has become the richest species composition of the birch country.