Alder is a shrub or tree from the Birch family.
Black alder tree (European, sticky) reaches 35 m in height. The bark of the trunk is dark brown with cracks.
Its young branches are brown-reddish, smooth, often sticky. The leaves are obovate or round, with a notch at the top. Young leaves are very shiny and sticky. Developed from below have a light green color, from above - dark green. There are flowers (earrings) in a drooping spike-shaped inflorescence.
The fruits of the plant are nuts with a fairly narrow leathery wing. The bracts become stiff when the nuts ripen, thereby forming a kind of cone, reaching a length of 2 centimeters.
Alder gray (white) is a tree up to 15 m high, rarely a shrub. Light gray bark, leaves ovate-elliptical or ovate, pointed towards the apex. Juveniles are non-glutinous and non-shining; further - dark green above with sparse hairs and below - bluish-gray. Inflorescences are the same as those of sticky alder, cones are mostly up to 1.5 cm in length, a nutlet with a clear wing.
Distribution
Alder gray and black grows in the westAsia, almost everywhere in northern Africa and Europe. Introduced to different parts of the planet, while in North America in some places it even poses a threat to various local species. Black alder, the photo of which is presented in this article, grows in the forest, forest-steppe and steppe regions of European Russia, in addition - in Western Siberia, as well as in the Caucasus. Prefers damp lands.
Alder gray is widespread in the European region of our country. It also grows in Asia Minor, Europe, Western Siberia, Transcaucasia. Forms plantations along the banks of small streams and rivers.
Chemical composition
In the leaves of the plant - up to 20% protein, up to 6% fat, carotene, vitamin C, resin acids, flavonoids. Seed fruit contains a large amount of tannins, including tannin (2.33%) and gallic acid (3.75%). The bark contains vitamin PP and essential oil.
Black alder: properties and applications
Alder bark, leaves and cones are used for medicinal purposes. These parts of the plant were very widely used in the past in traditional medicine for rheumatism, various colds, gout, etc. During the Second World War, medical circles became very interested in black alder seedlings. They have been used since 1942 as an astringent for various stomach diseases, acute and chronic colitis, and enteritis.
Black alder is actively used for medicinal purposes. Decoctions are made from its cones, water infusions and alcohol tinctures are made from the bark, seedlings and leaves. They are used in folkand official medicine as an astringent, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, antibacterial, anticancer, hemostatic, immunomodulatory agent.
Alder cones (as an astringent) are used with serpentine. To do this, take 2 parts of the cones and part of the serpentine rhizome, brew and use as tea.
Infusion of alder cones
Black alder, the photo of which is presented in this article, is known for its healing properties. To prepare an infusion from it, you need to pour 4 g of cones with a glass of boiling water, leave to infuse in a closed jar for three hours, covered with a terry towel. After that, filter. Ready infusion should be taken 4 times a day for half a glass, before meals.
Infusion from the root
Black alder is also used to make an infusion from its roots. To do this, pour 10 g of finely chopped raw materials with a glass of hot water, then boil in an enameled sealed container for 30 minutes. Filter the infusion hot, then dilute with clean water to the original volume. You need to take it two spoons before meals.
Infusion of leaves
Take 15 g of alder leaves, pour them with a glass of clean warm water, then boil for 20 minutes in a water bath. Next, the resulting broth must be cooled and filtered. Next - squeeze and add water to the original volume.
Black alder: harvesting methods
Infructescences are usually harvested in winter and autumn as follows: the ends of thin branches of a tree are cut off with pruners, from which they hang. After that, removebranchy parts, while the seedlings are dried in well-ventilated, warm rooms.
Requirements for the quality of finished raw materials
The raw material consists of mature alder cones. They are overgrown and stiff earrings resembling cones. For the most part, they have open scales, ovoid or oval-oblong in shape with or without fruitlets. Seed fruit should be without stems or with their remains (no more than a centimeter in length). In addition, they can be collected on a thin stalk together in several pieces. They consist of a rough, hard rod, as well as numerous, hard scales. The scales should be six-lobed, and the fruits should be flattened, one-seeded. The color of the inflorescences is dark brown or brown. The aroma is weak, the taste is slightly astringent.
