Back Berk Afrikaans Birke ALS የፈረንጅ ልምጭ Amharic Betula AN قضبان (نبات) Arabic قضبان ARZ Betula AST Мах AV Tozağacı Azerbaijani Ҡайын Bashkir
| Birch Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Betula pendula (Silver birch) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Betulaceae |
| Subfamily: | Betuloideae |
| Genus: | Betula L. |
| Subgenera | |
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| Range of Betula | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus Betula (/ˈbɛtjʊlə/),[2] in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus Betula contains 30 to 60 known taxa of which 11 are on the IUCN 2011 Red List of Threatened Species. They are typically short-lived pioneer species and are widespread in the Northern Hemisphere, particularly in northern areas of temperate climates and in boreal climates.[3] Birch wood is used for a wide range of purposes.
- ^ "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew". apps.kew.org.
- ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
- ^ Ashburner, K. & McAllister, H.A. (2013). The genus Betula: a taxonomic revision of birches: 1–431. Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew.