Frangula

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Rosales

Familia: Rhamnaceae
Subfamlia: Rhamnoideae
Tribus: Rhamneae
Genus: Frangula
Species: F. acuminata – F. alnus – F. austrosinensis – F. azorica – F. betulifolia – F. breedlovei – F. californica – F. capreifolia – F. caroliniana – F. chimalapensis – F. chrysophylla – F. circumscissa – F. crenata – F. darienensis – F. dianthes – F. discolor – F. glaberrima – F. goudotiana – F. grandiflora – F. grandifolia – F. granulosa – F. grisea – F. henryi – F. hintonii – F. inconspicua – F. lindeniana – F. longipedicellata – F. longipes – F. longistyla – F. macrocarpa – F. marahuacensis – F. mcvaughii – F. microphylla – F. mucronata – F. neblinensis – F. obovata – F. oreodendron – F. palmeri – F. paruensis – F. pedunculata – F. pendula – F. pinetorum – F. polymorpha – F. pringlei – F. pubescens – F. purshiana – F. revoluta – F. rhododendriphylla – F. riojae – F. rubra – F. rupestris – F. scopulorum – F. sphaerosperma – F. surotatensis – F. ulei – F. wendtii
Nothospecies: F. × blumeri
Name

Frangula Mill., Gard. Dict. Abr. ed. 4: s.p. [517]. (1754)

Type species: Frangula alnus Mill., Gard. Dict., ed. 8.: n.° 1. (1768)

Synonyms

Homotypic
Rhamnus sect. Frangula (Mill.) DC.
Rhamnus subg. Frangula (Mill.) Gray
Heterotypic
Frangularia Samp., Herb. Port.: 45. (1913)
Perfonon Raf., Sylva Tellur.: 29. (1838)

References
Primary references

Miller, P. 1754. The Gardeners Dictionary. Abridged. Ed. 4, Vol. 1–3 (unpaged). John & James Rivington, London. DOI: 10.5962/bhl.title.79061 Reference page.

Additional references

Pool, A. 2013. New species, combinations, and lectotypifications in Neotropical and northern Mexican Frangula (Rhamnaceae). Novon: A Journal for Botanical Nomenclature 22(4):.447-467. DOI: 10.3417/2013009 Paywall JSTOR Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2024. Frangula in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2024 Jan. 24. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2020. Frangula. Published online. Accessed: 24 May 2020. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2023. Frangula. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: {{{3}}} Feb.9 2023.

Vernacular names
беларуская: Крушына
čeština: krušina
dansk: Tørst
Deutsch: Faulbäume
dolnoserbski: Psowic
English: Buckthorn (see also Rhamnus and Hippophae)
suomi: Haprapaatsamat
hornjoserbsce: Psowodźina
magyar: kutyabenge
հայերեն: Բեկտենի, փոկուռի
қазақша: Итшомырт
кырык мары: Пирӹванды
norsk bokmål: Trollheggslekten
ирон: Бурæхъæд
polski: Kruszyna
русский: Крушина
slovenčina: krušina
удмурт: Кионльӧм
українська: Крушина

Frangula is a genus of about 35 species of flowering shrubs or small trees, commonly known as alder buckthorn in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae.[1] The common name buckthorn is also used to describe species of the genus Rhamnus in the same family and also sea-buckthorn, Hippophae rhamnoides in the Elaeagnaceae.
Description

Frangula is a genus of deciduous shrubs with alternate, simple leaves with stipules, buds without bud scales, branches without spines and flowers with five petals and undivided styles. The fruits are 2 to 4-seeded berries.[2]: 279 

Selected species include:

Frangula alnus – alder buckthorn, glossy buckthorn, breaking buckthorn, black dogwood
Frangula azorica
Frangula betulifolia – birchleaf buckthorn
Frangula californica – California buckthorn, coffeeberry
Frangula caroliniana – Carolina buckthorn, Indian cherry (synonym Rhamnus caroliniana)
Frangula purshiana – cascara buckthorn (synonym Rhamnus purshiana)
Frangula rubra – red buckthorn

The European species, alder buckthorn (Frangula alnus) was of major military importance in the 15th to 19th centuries, as its wood provided the best quality charcoal for gunpowder manufacture.[3]
References

"The Plant List: Frangula". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2013.
Stace, C. A. (2010). New Flora of the British Isles (Third ed.). Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. p. 88. ISBN 9780521707725.
Francis Montagu Smith (1871). A handbook of the manufacture and proof of gunpowder, as carried on at the Royal Gunpowder Factory, Waltham Abbey. H.M. Stationery Office. pp. 26–. Retrieved 2 April 2013.