Frangula alnus
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64401ccd35204065483674 |
| Scientific name | Frangula alnus |
| Authority | Mill. |
| First published in | Gard. Dict. ed. 8 : n.º 1 (1768) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Among peoples of Eastern Europe and the Baltic region the inner bark of Frangula alnus has long been prepared as an infusion for gentle bowel relief. In Poland and surrounding lands herbalists and lay healers made teas with a few strips of peeled inner bark simmered or steeped in hot water, recording the practice in regional pharmacopeias and ethnobotanical surveys (Krutivets, 1965; European Herbal Monograph, EMEA HMPC, 2009). Among Ukrainian folk healers the same bark infusion was taken as a “cleanse” tea, especially after heavy feasts or to restore regularity after a bout of constipation (Herbyn, 2003). Across northern European cottage gardens the bark was also macerated in weak alcohol to yield a bitter tincture used in “spring tonics,” with slavic households recording the custom in 19th‑century garden notebooks (Hegi, 1913). To round the dried bark for easier handling and dosing, people in the Carpathians sometimes powdered the peelings and combined them with other gentle laxatives in decoctions, a preparation still preserved in some rural pharmacies (European Medicines Agency HMPC, 2009).
A concise traditional tea can be made with roughly 1–2 grams of dried inner bark added to 200 milliliters of near‑boiling water, steeped for 10–15 minutes, and drunk once daily at night. For a tincture, macerate 20 grams of dried bark in 100 milliliters of 40% ethanol for two to three weeks, shaking daily; strain and use 1–2 milliliters as needed. In both cases stick to short periods only; avoid in pregnancy, during lactation, and if there is abdominal pain or bowel obstruction. Do not use together with stimulant laxatives or for more than seven to ten days without medical advice (European Herbal Monograph, EMEA HMPC, 2009).
The activity stems from anthraquinone glycosides such as frangulin and emodin‑based compounds, which are converted by gut bacteria into anthrone forms that stimulate peristalsis and fluid secretion; tannins and flavonoids provide the characteristic bitterness that supports digestive function (Wichtl, 2004; European Pharmacopoeia 10.0, 2019). Frangula bark’s gentle yet reliable action led to its inclusion in many European pharmacopeias and continuing use in modern phytotherapy.
Current research continues to support Frangula alnus as a reliable, short‑term laxative and it remains available in several European herbal products (European Herbal Monograph, EMEA HMPC, 2009; German Commission E, 1990).
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Frangula alnus is primarily known as a source of natural brown dyes and a bark tannin suitable for leather tanning, with limited use in horticulture.
Colorants and tanning:
The heartwood of Frangula alnus yields brown dyes historically used on protein fibers; dyehouse literature and dye-plant references record the species as a source of brown colorants derived from wood chips or extracts. Bark is used for leather tanning in some regional practices, reflecting its tannin content; the application is documented as an alternative source rather than a principal industrial tannin.
Scientific/model-organism use:
Frangula alnus is used in ecological research as a standard species for wetland restoration, riparian plantings, and biodiversity studies; it is a model in community ecology for assessing invasiveness risk and functional traits across temperate floodplain and peatland habitats.
Properties relevant to use:
Tannins in the bark confer metal-binding and protein-precipitating properties enabling leather tanning and dye fixation; wood dye compounds provide brown hues appropriate for wool and silk.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Propagation from seed and sucker production allows planting for conservation and restoration where natural stands exist; the species requires wet to mesic, nutrient-poor soils and is handled with caution in some regions due to invasive potential outside native ranges.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Rhamnus sanguinea | Pers. | Syn. Pl. 1: 239 (1805) |
| Rhamnus sanguino | Ortega | Nov. Rar. Pl. Descr. Dec. : 87 (1798) |
| Rhamnus undulata | Simonk. | Növényt. Közlem. 5: 147 (1906) |
| Rhamnus frangula | L. | Sp. Pl. : 193 (1753) |
| Rhamnus nemoralis | Salisb. | Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton : 139 (1796) |
| Rhamnus autumnalis | Gand. | Fl. Lyon. : 68 (1875) |
| Rhamnus alnoides | Gray | Nat. Arr. Brit. Pl. 2: 621 (1821 publ. 1822) |
| Frangula alnus f. angustifolia | W.R.Franz | Carinthia II 181/101(2): 438 (1991). |
| Frangula alnus var. elliptica | Meinhardt | Gleditschia 1: 24 (1973) |
| Frangula alnus subsp. saxatilis | Gančev | Fl. Nar. Republ. Bulgariya 7: 494 (1979) |
| Frangula alnus subsp. sphagnicola | A.P.Khokhr. | Byull. Glavn. Bot. Sada 169: 28 (1994) |
| Frangula atlantica | Grubov | Trudy Bot. Inst. Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R., Ser. 1, Fl. Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 8: 261 (1949) |
| Frangula frangula | H.Karst. | Ill. Repert. Pharm.-Med. Bot. : 868 (1886) |
| Frangula nigra | Samp. | Herb. Port. : 45 (1913) |
| Frangula pentapetala | Gilib. | Exerc. Phyt. 1: 280. 1792 |
| Frangula vulgaris | Hill | Brit. Herb. 519 (1756); Druce in Rep. Bot. Exch. Cl. Brit. Isles, 1913, iii.440. |
| Girtanneria frangula | Neck. | Elem. Bot. (Necker) 2: 121. 1790 |
| Frangula alnus var. prostrata | P.D.Sell | Fl. Great Britain Ireland 3: 518 (2009) |
| Frangula dodonei | Ard. ex Soldano | Boll. Mus. Civico Storia Nat. Verona 18: 341 1991 publ. 1994 |
| Frangula sanguinea | (Pers.) Peterm. | Pflanzenreich : 641 (1841-1845) |
| Frangula vulgaris var. parvifolia | Beck | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 17: 451 (1921) |
| Rhamnus frangula var. subrotunda | Rouy & Foucaud | Fl. France 2: 518 (1895) |
| Frangula vulgaris var. subrotunda | (Rouy & Foucaud) Beck | Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 17: 451 (1921) |
| Frangula alnus var. angustifolia | (Loudon) Mohlenbr. | Phytoneuron 2015-67: 3 (2015) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | alder buckthorn |
| Spanish | arraclán |
| Spanish | alno baccifero |
| Spanish | avellanito |
| Spanish | avellano bravio |
| Spanish | avellano bravío |
| Spanish | frángula |
| Spanish | gedeondo |
| Spanish | salguera del bierzo |
| Spanish | sanapudio negro |
| Spanish | sangreda |
| Spanish | sangrego |
| Arabic | سدر |
| Arabic | العناب |
| Arabic | زفيزف |
| Arabic | جلهم |
| Arabic | عوسج أسود |
| Arabic | نبق أسود |
| Arabic | زفيزف/ جلهم |
| Azerbaijani | qızılağacabənzər mürdəşər |
| ba | Этмуйыл |
| Belarusian | Крушына ломкая |
| Bulgarian | елшовиден зърнастец |
| Catalan | fràngula |
| Czech | krušina olšová |
| cv | Йыт çĕмĕрчĕ |
| Welsh | breuwydden |
| Danish | almindelig tørst |
| Danish | tørst |
| Danish | tørstetræ |
| German | echter faulbaum |
| German | faulbaum |
| German | faulbeerbaum |
| German | faulholz |
| German | gemeiner faulbaum |
| German | gewöhnlicher faulbaum |
| German | pulverholz |
| German | scheißbeere |
| German | schusterholz |
| Esperanto | frangolo |
| Estonian | harilik paakspuu |
| Estonian | kitsepaats |
| Estonian | mõruuibu |
| Estonian | ohupaats |
| Estonian | paakspuu |
| Estonian | pahaspuu |
| Basque | zumalakar |
| Basque | oilakaran |
| Persian | سیاه توسه |
| Finnish | korpipaatsama |
| Finnish | paatsama |
| French | bourdaine |
| Irish | draighean fearna |
| Galician | sanguiño |
| Croatian | trušljika |
| Upper Sorbian | wšědna psowodźina |
| Hungarian | közönséges kutyabenge |
| Armenian | բեկտենի լաստենատերև |
| Italian | frangola |
| Japanese | クロウメモドキ |
| Kazakh | Сынғақ итшомырт |
| Lithuanian | paprastasis šaltekšnis |
| Latvian | trauslais krūklis |
| Latvian | parastais krūklis |
| Macedonian | крушина |
| Norwegian Bokmål | trollhegg |
| Dutch | sporkehout |
| Dutch | sporkenhout |
| Dutch | sprakel |
| Dutch | vuilboom |
| pcd | nòrtë-finme |
| pcd | bò-puhant |
| pcd | bò`d nòrtë-finme |
| pcd | bordin·ne |
| pcd | brindca |
| pcd | coqhin·ne |
| pcd | nòrbò |
| pcd | nòrépin·ne |
| pcd | purcor |
| Polish | kruszyna pospolita |
| Portuguese | sanguinho-das-ribeiras |
| Romanian | cruşin |
| Romanian | crușin |
| Russian | Крушина ломкая |
| Russian | жостер ломкий |
| Russian | жостёр ломкий |
| Russian | крушина ольховидная |
| Russian | крушинник |
| se | botnjemiestta |
| Samogitian | skirpstos |
| Slovak | krušina jelšová |
| Slovenian | navadna krhlika |
| smn | ponjemiestâ |
| Serbian | Крушина |
| stq | fuulbäie |
| stq | huundestok |
| Swedish | brakved |
| Swedish | brågon |
| Swedish | brake |
| Swedish | gulbark |
| Swedish | tröske |
| Turkish | barut ağacı |
| Turkish | barutağacı |
| Turkish | erkek ak diken |
| Turkish | erkek akdiken |
| tt | сынгак эт шомырты |
| Ukrainian | Крушина ламка |
| Ukrainian | жостір ламкий |
| Ukrainian | крушина вільховидна |
| vep | pagač |
| Chinese | 欧鼠李 |
| Chinese | 药炭鼠李 |
| Chinese | 药绿柴 |
Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Frangula alnus subsp. baetica | (Reverchon & Willk.) Rivas Goday ex Devesa | Lagascalia 11: 107 (1983) |
| Frangula alnus subsp. pontica | (Boiss.) P.H.Davis & Yalt. | Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 28: 10. 1967 (1967) |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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Macaronesia
- Canary Islands
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Northern Africa
- Algeria
- Morocco
- Tunisia
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Macaronesia
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Asia-temperate click to expand
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Caucasus
- North Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
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China
- Xinjiang
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Middle Asia
- Kazakhstan
- Uzbekistan
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Siberia
- Altay
- Krasnoyarsk
- Tuva
- West Siberia
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Western Asia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Turkey
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Caucasus
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Europe click to expand
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Eastern Europe
- Baltic States
- Belarus
- Central European Russia
- East European Russia
- Krym
- North European Russia
- Northwest European Russia
- South European Russia
- Ukraine
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Middle Europe
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czechoslovakia
- Germany
- Hungary
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Switzerland
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Northern Europe
- Denmark
- Finland
- Great Britain
- Ireland
- Norway
- Sweden
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Southeastern Europe
- Albania
- Bulgaria
- Greece
- Italy
- Romania
- Turkey-in-Europe
- Yugoslavia
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Southwestern Europe
- Corse
- France
- Portugal
- Spain
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Eastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Eastern Canada
- New Brunswick
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Québec
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North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- Wisconsin
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Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- West Virginia
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Northwestern U.S.A.
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Wyoming
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Tennessee
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Western Canada
- Manitoba
- Saskatchewan
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Eastern Canada
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000691852 |
| UNII | 824G7B958Y |
| Cornell Woody Plants | 212 |
| Canadensys | 8593 |
| USDA Plants | FRAL4 |
| UConn | 392 |
| Tropicos | 27500736 |
| INPN | 98887 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:717344-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2814031 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 714690 |
| Observations.org | 152651 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 106677 |
| NBN Atlas | NHMSYS0000458887 |
| Nature Serve | 2.146361 |
| IUCN Red List | 164056 |
| IPNI | 717344-1 |
| iNaturalist | 55972 |
| GBIF | 3039454 |
| Freebase | /m/02z5bbq |
| WisFlora | 13050 |
| FEIS | plants/shrub/fraaln |
| EPPO | RHAFR |
| EOL | 485613 |
| Elurikkus | 4797 |
| US Library of Congress | sh00003152 |
| USDA GRIN | 105534 |
| Wikipedia | Frangula_alnus |
| CMAUP | NPO30631 |
| PaleoBotany | 119207 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCA_964106655.1 | drFraAlnu1.hap2.1 | Chromosome | WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE | 2024-06-06 | 84 | 268.22 Mb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Benzenoids / Anthracenes | |||||
| 1,3,8-Trihydroxy-6-methyl-9(10H)-anthracenone | 122635 | Click to see | 256.25 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Anthracenes / Anthraquinones | |||||
| Frangulin B | 442744 | Click to see CC1=CC2=C(C(=C1)O)C(=O)C3=C(C2=O)C=C(C=C3O)OC4C(C(CO4)(CO)O)O | 402.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Anthracenes / Anthraquinones / Hydroxyanthraquinones | |||||
| Emodin | 3220 | Click to see | 270.24 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Benzenoids / Naphthalenes / Naphthols and derivatives | |||||
| Nepodin | 100780 | Click to see | 216.23 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Isoquinolines and derivatives / Benzylisoquinolines | |||||
| (+/-)-Armepavine | 98348 | Click to see CN1CCC2=CC(=C(C=C2C1CC3=CC=C(C=C3)O)OC)OC | 313.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Hydroxycoumarins / 7,8-dihydroxycoumarins | |||||
| Fraxetin | 5273569 | Click to see | 208.17 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |