| Betula megrelica | |
|---|---|
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| Young leaves | |
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| Habit | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Betulaceae |
| Genus: | Betula |
| Species: | B. megrelica |
| Binomial name | |
| Betula megrelica | |
Betula megrelica, the Megrelian birch, is a very rare species of flowering plant in the family Betulaceae. [1] [2] It is native to western Georgia, and has only been found in two locations, Mt. Migaria and Mt. Jvari, in the Egrisi Range of the Caucasus Mountains. [1] [3] A shrub or small tree reaching 4 m (13 ft), it is typically found in thickets at elevations from 1,200 to 2,000 m (3,900 to 6,600 ft). [1] [2] [3] A dodecaploid, it is in a clade with the decaploid B. medwediewii (Caucasian birch) and the diploid B. lenta (cherry birch, native to eastern North America). [4] In spite of its rarity and endangered status, it is available from specialty nurseries. [2]
