[*Betula alba L.] WHITE BIRCH. Ontario,
Niagara Parks System, Cameron (1895). ). (As B. alba) "Dufferin Islands,"
sight record, Yaki (1970).
Not listed for the Niagara Frontier Region by Zander
and Pierce (1979), nor New York State (Mitchell, 1986). Cameron's report
probably derives from a planting. Betula alba may be the species
reported for Goat Island by the Superintendent in the second report of the
Commissioners, 1886, when he refered to a White Birch. It is not reported by
Day, 1888. Yaki
(1970) clearly indicates this tree is introduced at Dufferin Islands Note that
Mitchell also indicates that some authors apply the name Betula alba
to B. pendula Roth, a tree also rarely escaping in the New York
flora. The above reports probably derive from plantings. It would probably have been included under Betula
pendula in this catalogue. At any rate, the tree referred to as White
Birch may indicate an alien species, although there exist two native white birches
which might have been the trees indicated in the Superintendent's report. . Morton and Venn (1990)
include the species in the Ontario flora by "J. Johnson pers. comm."
Betula lenta L. BLACK BIRCH. "Goat Island," Day (1888). Ontario, Queen Victoria
Park, Panton (1890). Ontario, Niagara
Parks System, Cameron (1895). "Sylva of Niagara," Day (1901).
"... several trees flourish in the Niagara Glen," Hamilton (1943).
Ontario: no specimen was seen to substantiate Hamilton's claim for the Glen but
"it seems quite possible that other stands of B. lenta may be located in
the region between Port Dalhousie and the Niagara River since this species
occurs in western New York state," Fox & Soper (1954).
Reported for Goat Island by the
Superintendent in the second report of the Commissioners in 1886. Range: swOnt. Ontario:
Port Dalhousie. Status: Rare in Canada,
Argus & White (1977).
Betula lutea Michx. YELLOW BIRCH.
Reported for Goat Island by the Superintendent in the second report of the
Commissioners in 1886. "Goat Island near the Horse-shoe Falls," Day
(1888). Ontario,
Queen Victoria Park, Panton (1890). Ontario,
Niagara Parks System, Cameron (1895). "Sylva of Niagara," Day (1901).
Ontario: Niagara Falls, Wm. Scott, July 23, 1898, Heimburger (1955).
"Several fine specimens grow in the Niagara Glen," Hamilton (1943). ). (As B. lutea) "Dufferin Islands, [Niagara]
Glen," sight records, Yaki (1970).
New York? : Niagara
River A. D. Pease May 20, 1882 (BUF); New
York: Lower woods in base of the gorge of the Niagara River between old
Schoelkopf plant and the sewage treatment plant. With Betula papyrifera,
Quercus borealis, Acer saccharum. P.M.Eckel 8703270 May 24, (BUF).
Ontario: Base
of gorge of the Niagara River, water's edge, Whirlpool Rapids Gorge, basin just
upriver from Whirlpool Basin. Edge of lower forest. P.M.Eckel 871228 Aug. 30,
1987 (BUF); rocky shore,
base of gorge north of Lower Arch Bridge, Eckel 871211 (BUF); rich
woods, base of the gorge of the Niagara River between the Lower Arch Bridge and
the Rainbow Bridge. P. M. Eckel s.n. Aug. 22, 1987 (BUF); Dufferin Islands, wet
soil. Wintergreen fragrance, yellow-orange peeling bark, scales
pubescent-ciliate. P. M. Eckel 880738 June 1, 1988 (BUF).
Betula papyrifera Marsh.
PAPER BIRCH, CANOE or WHITE BIRCH. Goat Island: (as B. papyracea)
April 25, 1863; May 9, 1864; "near Terrapin Tower" Aug. 15, 1865
(Clinton's Journal). Goat Island, Sept. 19, 1877 (J.D. Hooker's American
Journal). (As Betula papyracea), "rather rare. Goat Is.,
Niagara Falls; Youngstown Niagara Co.," Day (1882). (As B. papyracea),
"Goat Island. Below Lewiston," Day (1888). Ontario, Queen Victoria
Park (as B. papyracea), Panton (1890). Ontario, Niagara Parks
System, Cameron (1895). (As B. papyracea), "sylva of
Niagara," Day (1901). Ontario: sight record (Soper) #244. Niagara Glen;
Niagara Glen, high land, Miller (79), April 30, 1952; 1/2 mile S of Queenston,
high land, Miller (9), May 17, 1952; sight record (Soper) #328 [Lewiston-]
Queenston Bridge, Heimburger (1955). "A conspicuous component of the sylva
of the Niagara gorge, from Goat Island Niagara Falls, to the escarpment at
Lewiston and Queenston, and thence eastward and westward for some distance
along the escarpment," Zenkert (1934). "... along the margin of the
Niagara Glen," Hamilton (1943). "[Niagara] Glen," sight record, Yaki
(1970). Crest of the Niagara River gorge
between Devil's Hole and Whirlpool Steps, with Quercus rubra, Qu. alba, Tilia
Americana, Carya glabra, C. ovalis, Eckel (Nov. 7 2004).
New York:
Niagara Falls, Clinton, before 1882 (BUF); Niagara Falls Annot. J.
J. Furlow, Feb. 7, 1996, Ohio State University. H. T. Porter May 22, 1882
(BUF); Below the upper end of the gorge railroad bed just to the S of the
sewage treatment plant, N of Schoelkopf plant. Beginning of lower woods. No
fragrance, peeling white bark. P.M.Eckel 8703265 May 24, 1986 (BUF); base of gorge below Whirlpool State Park
at the Whirlpool, dolomite flats, frequent, Eckel 8705252 (BUF); Bath Island, Young
tree with golden-brown bark below, white-pink above. Nn shore, W end. P. M.
Eckel 880732 May 26, 1988
(BUF); First of the Three Sisters Islands in the Niagara River, just S of
Goat Island. East end, beside bridge to the Second Sister. P. M. Eckel June 4,
1988 (BUF); base of Goat Island in the Niagara River gorge, W-facing calcareous
cliffs, just below top of talus, western wood, with Tilia americana, Cornus
sericea, Vitis riparia. P. M. Eckel s.n. July 30, 2001 (BUF); Devil's Hole,
calcareous cove, W-facing; wet dolomite shrubby flats, with Cornus rugosa,
Physocarpus opulifolius, Salix eriocephala, P. M. Eckel May 30, 2002 (BUF); Second
Sister Island, east end alvar with Willows, Calamagrostis canadensis.
Several trees. P. M. Eckel s.n. May 17, 2003 (BUF).
Ontario:
Niagara Glen, Zenkert, Oct. 14, 1930 (BUF); "Whirlpool Woods," Frank
W. Johnson, Sept. 8, 1924 (BUF); towards Queenston, "crest of the
gorge," Zenkert, July 30, 1931 (BUF); Base of gorge of the
Niagara River, water's edge, Whirlpool Rapids Gorge, basin just upriver from
Whirlpool Basin. Gravelly shores. P.M.Eckel 871210 Aug. 30, (BUF); Base of the Niagara
River Gorge, upriver from the bight above the Whirlpool Basin. River's edge,
with Betula lutea, Salix interior - frequent. P. M. Eckel
89111424 Aug. 30, 1987 (BUF); crest of the Niagara River gorge, N section
limestone alvar vegetation on Wintergreen Flats (above Niagara Glen) with Penstemon
hirsutus and Comandra umbellata. P. M. Eckel s.n. May 29, 1998 (BUF).
This may be the species
reported for Goat Island by the Superintendent in the second report of the
Commissioners, 1886, when he refered to a White Birch.
Betula
populifolia Marsh. ,
Second Sister Island, west end in Niagara R.. River margin, bark white. Ohio
State University: ANNOT. J. FURLOW Feb. 7, 1998. P. M. Eckel s.n. Oct. 28,
(BUF).
Betula cordifolia Regel (= B. lutea x B. papyrifera). A
doubly-serrate, subcordate leaf-based form of this species was found at Niagara
Glen ("just N of Cripp's Eddy, riverside path," Zander & Eckel,
Aug. 30, 1987 (BUF) which would key to Betula cordifolia Regel or
Betula papyrifera var. cordifolia (Regel) Fern. MOUNTAIN
PAPER BIRCH. Zander and Pierce (1979) do not report this species for the
Niagara Frontier Region, and Mitchell (1986) reports it as rare in New York
State. Voss (1985) appears to discount the distinctions in leaf shape between
the vars. papyrifera and cordifolia in the white birches in the Michigan
flora, and suggests genetic differences between the two varieties may, upon
examination, also be included within the general variability of B papyrifera
(cordifolia a northern diploid, 2n = 28 or rarely 56, papyrifera
typically 2n = 70 or 84 or rarely 56; see Brittain & Grant, 1967). The
range of Betula cordifolia is described as typical of northern or
boreal regions. If the Niagara Glen specimen is acurately determined, the
specimen lends further strength to the interpretation of the Glen flora as
northern-relictual.
New York:
Dolomite flats where frequent growing on bare dolomite by edge of the Niagara
River at the whirlpool below Whirlpool State Park. P.M.Eckel 8705252 May 6,
l987 (BUF); base of the
gorge of the Niagara River, just upstream from DeVeaux (Whirlpool) stone steps,
downstream of the Whirlpool basin; river's edge, Eckel, Sept. 5, 1988 (BUF);
Ontario: Whirlpool Ravine, upstream from Niagara Glen adjacent to the Niagara
River Blvd., water's edge, base of the gorge, Eckel, June 10, 1988 (BUF); S end
of Niagara Glen, riverside path, just N of Cripp's Eddy. Note some leaf bases subcordiform. R.H.
Zander & P. M. Eckel 880177 Aug. 30, 1987 (BUF).
