Alnus nitida

{{Short description|Species of plant in the genus Alnus}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Alnus nitida Bra57.png

| image_caption = Botanical illustration |status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |vauthors=Shaw K, Roy S, Wilson B |year=2014 |title=Alnus nitida |volume=2014 |page=e.T194659A2356455 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T194659A2356455.en |access-date=3 May 2021}}

| genus = Alnus

| species = nitida

| authority = (Spach) Endl.Gen. Pl., Suppl. 4(2): 20 (1847)

| synonyms_ref =

| synonyms = Clethropsis nitida Spach

}}

Alnus nitida, the west Himalayan alder, is a species in the genus Alnus, native to Pakistan, the western Himalayas, and Nepal.{{cite web |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:294962-1 |title=Alnus nitida (Spach) Endl. |author= |date=2017 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=21 December 2020}} It is a tree reaching 20 to 25{{nbsp}}m, preferring to live along the banks of rivers. It is used locally for timber and firewood, and as a street tree.{{cite journal |vauthors=Khan MK, Muhammad N, Uddin N, Ali N, Umer M, Ullah S |title=Genetic diversity in threatened plant species Alnus nitida (Spach.) Endel |year=2020 |journal=Plant Science Today |volume=7 |issue=3 |pages=314–318 |doi=10.14719/pst.2020.7.3.759 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2020PlScT...7..314K }} The bark is used in some places for tanning and dyeing purposes. It grows well in heavy, clay soils and tolerates infertile soils.{{Cite web |title=Alnus nitida - Useful Temperate Plants |url=http://temperate.theferns.info/plant/Alnus+nitida |access-date=2021-05-03 |website=temperate.theferns.info}} The leaves are thin, oval to ovate, 3-6 inches long and 2-3 inches wide.{{Cite web |title=Alnus nitida - Trees and Shrubs Online |url=https://treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/alnus/alnus-nitida/ |access-date=2021-05-03 |website=treesandshrubsonline.org}} Female flowers appear first, followed by male catkinss in September to October, which may be up to 19 cm long.{{Cite web |title=Alnus nitida in Flora of Pakistan @ efloras.org |url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=242420274 |access-date=2021-05-03 |website=www.efloras.org}} The fruits are woody cones, typically 2.5-3.5 cm long.{{Cite web |title=Fact Sheet: Alnus nitida |url=http://idtools.org/id/dried_botanical/factsheet.php?name=9 |access-date=2021-05-03 |website=idtools.org}}

This tree may be attacked by the apple stem borer (Trirachys holosericeus).{{Cite journal |title=Alnus nitida (West Himalayan alder) |url=https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/4588 |access-date=2021-05-03 |website=www.cabi.org|date=2019 |volume=CABI Compendium |page=4588 |doi=10.1079/cabicompendium.4588 |url-access=subscription }}

In some places, the bark is used as an anti-inflammatory. One study examined its chemical components and concluded it has antioxidant potential.{{cite journal |vauthors=Sajid M, Khan MR, Shah NA, Shah SA, Ismail H, Younis T, Zahra Z |title=Phytochemical, antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Alnus nitida bark in carbon tetrachloride challenged Sprague Dawley rats |journal=BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=268 |date=August 2016 |pmid=27488054 |pmc=4972964 |doi=10.1186/s12906-016-1245-3 |doi-access=free }}