noun
monoecious trees and shrubs (including the genera Betula and Alnus and Carpinus and Corylus and Ostrya and Ostryopsis)
• Syn: ↑Betulaceae, ↑family Betulaceae
• Derivationally related forms: ↑betulaceous (for: ↑Betulaceae)
• Hypernyms: ↑hamamelid dicot family
• Member Holonyms: ↑Fagales, ↑order Fagales
• Member Meronyms:
↑Betula, ↑genus Betula, ↑Alnus, ↑genus Alnus, ↑Carpinaceae, ↑subfamily Carpinaceae, ↑family Carpinaceae, ↑Carpinus, ↑genus Carpinus, ↑Ostrya, ↑genus Ostrya, ↑Ostryopsis, ↑genus Ostryopsis, ↑Corylaceae, ↑subfamily Corylaceae, ↑family Corylaceae, ↑Corylus, ↑genus Corylus
* * *
noun* * *
the plant family Betulaceae, characterized by deciduous trees having simple serrate leaves, male flowers in drooping catkins, female flowers in short clusters, and one-seeded nuts, and including the alder, birch, hazel, and hornbeam.
* * *
birch family,
a group of dicotyledonous trees and shrubs having simple, alternate leaves and monoecious flowers, and bearing a one-seeded nutlet as the fruit. The family includes the birch, alder, and hazel.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.