Rhamnus alaternus L.

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Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Rhamnus alaternus' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/rhamnus/rhamnus-alaternus/). Accessed 2024-03-29.

Genus

Synonyms

  • Alaternus phylica Mill.
  • A. glabra Mill.
  • A. latifolia Mill.
  • Rhamnus alaternus var. latifolia Ait.
  • R. alaternus var. integrifolia Boiss.

Glossary

alternate
Attached singly along the axis not in pairs or whorls.
apex
(pl. apices) Tip. apical At the apex.
axillary
Situated in an axil.
entire
With an unbroken margin.
glabrous
Lacking hairs smooth. glabrescent Becoming hairless.
midrib
midveinCentral and principal vein in a leaf.
umbel
Inflorescence in which pedicels all arise from same point on peduncle. May be flat-topped (as in e.g. Umbelliferae) to spherical (as in e.g. Araliaceae). umbellate In form of umbel.
unisexual
Having only male or female organs in a flower.

References

There are no active references in this article.

Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Rhamnus alaternus' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/rhamnus/rhamnus-alaternus/). Accessed 2024-03-29.

An evergreen, sometimes unisexual shrub of rounded, bushy habit reaching 10 to 12 ft in height, occasionally twice as high; young branchlets covered with a close, minute down. Leaves oval or oblong, sometimes inclined to obovate. 34 to 2 in. long, 12 to 1 in. wide, tapered at both ends and with a short abrupt apex, margins thickened and more or less toothed, especially when young, sometimes entire, often conspicuously three-nerved at the base, dark glossy green and glabrous except for some down on the lower part of the midrib above, and for tufts in the lowermost vein-axils beneath; chief veins two to five each side the midrib; stalks 16 to 14 in. long, downy. Flowers yellowish green, very small (18 in. diameter), crowded on short, axillary, umbel-like racemes, scarcely 12 in. long, expanding in April. Fruits black, 14 in. long.

Native of the Mediterranean region, also of Portugal, Atlantic Morocco, and the Crimea; introduced early in the 17th century if not before. The specific epithet alaternus is an old generic name, not an adjective, and therefore retains the masculine ending even though Rhamnus is feminine.

The alaternus is a useful, cheerful-looking evergreen of much the same character as phillyrea, but with alternate leaves. It has no beauty of flower, and little of fruit, although the latter are occasionally produced in such abundance as to be noticeable; but it makes a dense mass of pleasant greenery. Easily propagated by cuttings, and perfectly hardy.


'Argenteovariegata'

A form with leaves intermediate in shape between those of the type and var. angustifolia, often somewhat deformed. They are conspicuously margined with creamy white. This is a really well-variegated shrub, but is more tender than the type.


'Maculata'

A poor form with leaves irregularly and sparsely blotched with yellow.

var. angustifolia (Mill.) Ait.

Synonyms
Alaternus angustifolia Mill.
R. perrieri Hort

A very distinct variety with lanceolate or linear-oval, conspicuously toothed leaves, as long as those of the type, but only from {1/6} to {3/8} in. wide. There is a form of it with slightly variegated leaves. This variety is so distinct that the older authors considered it specifically distinct from the ordinary R. alaternus. In my experience it is not so hardy.