Family: Betulaceae
Mongolian name:
English name: White birch, Siberian silver birch
Collection Number: 40
Betula platyphylla, known in English as White birch, Manchurian birch and Siberian silver birch among other names, is an economically important tree for logging, particularly in northern Mongolia. It is one of the most common trees in the forest-steppe zone as well as the taiga. It is also a pioneer species and therefore important to environmental recovery after natural or manmade disturbances. Birch bark is a noted material used to create archaeological artifacts in Mongolia, from floors to small bags to a writing surface. Betula pendula subspecies have been used in diverse cultures for pharmacological purposes. The leaves, bark, resin, buds, and sap have all been noted in many medicinal applications. While it hasn’t been noted in publications as being used in Mongolia specifically, it is highly possible that it has also been employed in Mongolian traditional medicine.
Citations
Gradel, Alexander, Christina Haensch, Batsaikhan Ganbaatar, Batdorj Dovdondemberel, Ochirragchaa Nadaldorj, and Björn Günther. 2017. Response of White Birch (Betula Platyphylla Sukaczev) to Temperature and Precipitation in the Mountain Forest Steppe and Taiga of Northern Mongolia. Asian Dendrochronology Association (ADA) 2015, Dendrochronologia 41:24–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dendro.2016.03.005.
Reference Collection 