ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Betula populifolia
 
 
 CLASS:    DICOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    FAGALES
 FAMILY:   BETULACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Betula populifolia
 AUTHORITY:  Marsh.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    GRAY BIRCH
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: BEPO
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     FOREST
       THICKETS
     PRAIRIE
       SAND PRAIRIE
         DRY
         DRY-MESIC
         MESIC
         WET-MESIC
         WET
       SHRUB PRAIRIE
     CULTURAL
       SUCCESSIONAL FIELD
         ABANDONED CROPLAND
 
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:
     NO
 
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:
     Northeastern Morainal
        Winnebago
     Grand Prairie
        Grand Prairie
 
 COUNTIES:
   COOK            KANE            KENDALL         MCHENRY         WINNEBAGO
 
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Dicot-woody
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Primary
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:   Alternate
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Doubly Serrate
    LEAF VENATION:  Pinnate
    LEAF SHAPE:       Deltoid
    INFLORESCENCE:   Catkin
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Incomplete  (no petals)
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Epigynous
    FRUIT:   Samara
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Native
 
 GEOGRAPHIC COMMENTS:
     Probably native only in Winnebago County (Sheviak, 1981).
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Endangered-ST
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Rare
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Tree
     LIFE CYCLE:   Perennial
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      5         MONTH END-      6
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     C02 FIXATION:  C3
     SEX:      Unisexual   -monoecious
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Scrubby sand prairie.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     GROWTH OF SPECIES IN VARIOUS CONDITIONS:
          GRAVEL         No data entered    SAND           Good
          SANDY LOAM     No data entered    LOAM           No data entered
          CLAY LOAM      No data entered    CLAY           No data entered
          DENSE CLAY     No data entered    ORGANIC SOIL   No data entered
          NEUTRAL pH     No data entered    ACIDIC SOIL    Good
          EXTREMELY ACID No data entered    SALINE SOIL    No data entered
          SODIC SOIL     No data entered    SODIC-SALINE   No data entered
          ROCKY OUTCROPS No data entered    GENTLE SLOPES  No data entered
          MODERATE SLOPE No data entered    STEEP SLOPES   No data entered
     HABITAT:   Wet   Moist   Dry
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONS COMMENTS:
     Aggressively invades abandoned fields and burned-over forest areas (Grimm,
     1950).
 
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     MAJOR DISPERSAL AGENTS:   WIND
     MAJOR POLLINATION AGENT:   Wind
 
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     ALLERGENIC:  Yes
     EDIBLE:  Yes-qualified
     SHOWY FLOWERS:  NO     LANDSCAPING:  YES     AMOUNT:   Low
 
 HUMAN FACTOR COMMENTS:
     An attractive ornamental tree which is not used extensively because it is so
     short lived.  The light, soft wood is of little commercial importance but is
     used to some extent for spools, toothpicks, barrel hoops, paper pulp, and for
     fuel (Grimm, 1950).  The sap can be used as a drink or can be reduced to
     syrup or sugar by boiling; it can also be used to make vinegar.  The inner bark
     can be ground into flour and used as emergency bread-stuff (Fernald et al.,
     1958).
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:
     FOOD VALUE:
         DEER VALUE:    Poor   -   Leaves
         UPLAND GAME VALUE:  Unknown
         WATERFOWL VALUE:  Unknown
         SMALL NON-GAME BIRD VALUE:  Unknown
         SMALL MAMMAL VALUE:  Unknown
         AQUATIC MAMMAL VALUE:  Unknown
         FISH VALUE:  Unknown
     COVER VALUE:
         DEER:     No data     WATERFOWL:    No data   SMALL MAMMAL:   No data
         FISH:     No data     SMALL BIRD:    Good      UPLAND GAME:    No data
         AQUATIC MAMMAL: No data
 
 LIVESTOCK PALATABILITY DATA:  No data entered
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     AGRESSIVENESS:   High
 
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Mohlenbrock, R. H., and D. M. Ladd.  1978.  Distribution of Illinois vascular
     plants.  Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale. 282 pp.
Mohlenbrock, R. H., ed.  1975.  Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.  494 pp.
Gleason, H. A., and A. Cronquist.  1963.  Manual of vascular plants of north-
     eastern United States and adjacent Canada.  Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.,
     New York.  810 pp.
Fernald, M. L.  1950.  Gray's manual of botany.  8th ed.  American Book Co.,
     New York.  1632 pp.
Swink, F., and G. S. Wilhelm.  1979.  Plants of the Chicago region.  Third ed.
     The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.  922 pp.
Schwegman, J. E., G. D. Fell, M. Hutchison, G. Paulson, W. M. Shepherd, and
     J. White.  1973.  Comprehensive plan for the Illinois Nature Preserves
     System.  Part 2 - The Natural Divisions of Illinois.  Illinois Nature
     Preserves Commission, Springfield.  32 pp., plus map.
Porter, C. L.  1967.  Taxonomy of flowering plants.  W. H. Freeman and
     Company, San Francisco.  472 pp.
Sheviak, C. J.  1981.  Endangered and threatened plants.  Pages 70-179 in M.
     L. Bowles, V. E. Diersing, and J. E. Ebinger, eds., Endangered and
     threatened vertebrate animals and vascular plants of Illinois.  Illinois
     Department of Conservation, Springfield.
Downton, W. J. S.  1975.  The occurrence of C4 photosynthesis among plants.
     Photosynthetica 9(1): 96-105.
Mohlenbrock, R. H., ed.  1983-continuing.  Illinois flora update.  Erigenia.
Grimm, W. C.  1950.  The trees of Pennsylvania.  Stackpole and Heck, New York
     and Harrisburg.  363 pp.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Betula populifolia
 
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 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015