Common name
English: Alder Buckthorn
German: Faulbaum
Portuguese: Sangarinheiro-de-água
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae (2597)
Phylum: Tracheophyta (2496)
Class: Magnoliopsida (2110)
Order: Rhamnales (11)
Family: Rhamnaceae (8)(family description)
Genus: Frangula (1)
Epithet: dodonei Ard. (1)
Synonyms: Frangula alnus Mill., Frangula atlantica Grubov, Frangula frangula H.Karst., Frangula nigra Samp., Frangula pentapetala Gilib., Frangula vulgaris Hill, Girtanneria frangula Neck., Rhamnus frangula L.
alnus => ancient Latin for Alnus, alder
atlantica => from the Atlas Mountains in North Africa
frangula => brittle, breakable, fragile
nigra => black, blackness
pentapetala => having five petals
vulgaris => common, everyday
Characteristics
Climate: temperate, sub-tropical
Habit: shrub, arborescent
Flower colour: yellow, beige