Introductory
SPECIES: Betula papyrifera | Paper Birch 



ABBREVIATION : 
BETPAP

SYNONYMS : 
   Betula cordifolia Regel
   Betula neoalaskana Sarg.
   Betula neoalaskana var. kenaica (W. H. Evans) Boivin
   Betula alaskana Sarg.
   Betula papyrifera var. humilis (Reg.) Fern. & Raup


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   BEPA


COMMON NAMES : 
   paper birch
   white birch
   canoe birch
   silver birch


TAXONOMY : 
The currently accepted scientific name of paper birch is Betula
papyrifera Marsh. [38].  It is wide ranging and exhibits considerable
ecotypic variation.  Six intergrading geographical varieties are
recognized [38,57]:

        var. papyrifera - typical paper birch
        var. cummutata (Regel) Fern. - western paper birch
        var. cordifolia (Regel) Fern. - mountain paper birch
        var. kenaica (W. H. Evans) Henry - Kenai birch
        var. neoalaskana (Sarg.) Raup - Alaska paper birch
        var. subcordata (Rydb.) Sarg. - northwestern paper birch

Birch (Betula spp.) is a genetically plastic genus, often with
morphological variation continuous between species [51].  Hybridization
is common.  Paper birch naturally hybridizes with almost every native
species in the genus.  Named hybrids include [38,51,57]:

B. p. var. neoalaskana x B. glandulosa = B. X eastwoodiae Sarg. (Syn. =
   B. X dugleana Lepage)
B. papyrifera x B. nana = B. X hornei Butler
B. papyrifera x B. populifolia = B. X caerulea Blanchard
B. papyrifera x B. occidentalis = B. X utahensis (Britt.) Dugle (Syn.=
   B. X piperi Britton)
B. papyrifera x B. pumila var. glandulifera = B. X sandbergii Britt.

Crosses with yellow birch (B. alleghaniensis), sweet birch (B. lenta),
and river birch (B. nigra) have not been named.  


LIFE FORM : 
Tree

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 
NO-ENTRY


COMPILED BY AND DATE : 
Ronald Uchytil, September 1991


LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
NO-ENTRY


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Uchytil, Ronald J. 1991. Betula papyrifera. In: Remainder of Citation

Related categories for Species: Betula papyrifera | Paper Birch