VAL-11: Buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.)
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Buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.)
Common Name: Buckthorn
Scientific Name: Rhamnus spp.
Other Names: Random
Leaf: Deciduous; alternate; opposite; simple; oval; pointed or blunt tip; prominent veins;
green; smoothed or toothed.
Flower: Small; some only bare pollen or ovules.
Fruit: Berry-like; found in small clusters at base of new shoots or dwarf shoots.
Twig: Some species have thorns.
Bark: Brown or grey colour; light coloured short horizontal lines (lenticels); older bark
is rough, strips may curl.
Wood: Inner bark (sapwood) is orange/yellow.
Facts About this Tree:
1. There are a 100 species of trees and shrubs in the genus Rhamnus, 12 of which are
native to North America. Of those 12, 2 species are native to Canada.
2. The berry-like fruit of Buckthorns is consumed by birds which is how the seeds are
dispersed. It is a very effective method of dispersion because the berries are a laxative.
3. The genus name Rhamnus comes from the Greek word rhamnos, which means branch.
4. Buckthorn berries are toxic to people. They can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea if
ingested.
Lat,Long: 43.74535,-79.8207
Diameter (DBH): 6.3 cm
Last Year Modified: 2015
Carbon Stored in this Tree: 5.07 kg of C
Equivalent CO2: 18.60 kg of C
Reference
1. Farrar, J.L. 2007. Trees in Canada. ON. Canadian Forest Service.
2. Common Buckthorn and Glossy Buckthorn. n.a. Forest Invasive Plant Resource Center.
Retrieved on September 22, 2015 from
http://na.fs.fed.us/spfo/invasiveplants/factsheets/pdf/common-and-glossy-buckthorn.pdf.
3. Rhamnus spp. n.a. North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension. Retrieved on
September 22, 2015 from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/all/rhamnus-spp/.
4. Photo Credit: Kenraiz Krzysztof Ziarnek (Own work) [GFDL
(http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
5. Photo Credit: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org [CC BY 3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
6. Photo Credit: Rhamnus crocea 3 by Stan Shebs. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via
Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhamnus_crocea_3.jpg#
/media/File:Rhamnus_crocea_3.jpg.
7. Photo Credit: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA (Rhamnus cathartica Uploaded by
Tim1357) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons.
8. Photo Credit: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
[CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
9. Photo Credit: Einstein442. (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
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