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76-455: There are several megalithic structures, dolmens and castros in Alijó evidencing the pre-historic occupation of the region by semi-nomadic tribes, dating back to the 10th century BC. Many of the archaeological sites are well documented, and most of the archaeological evidence continue to be unearthed in reasonable condition. The remains of Roman-era settlements in the region are primarily limited to

152-615: A Breton language term meaning ' stone table ' but doubt has been cast on this, and the OED describes its origin as "Modern French". A book on Cornish antiquities from 1754 said that the current term in the Cornish language for a cromlech was tolmen ('hole of stone') and the OED says that "There is reason to think that this was the term inexactly reproduced by Latour d'Auvergne [sic] as dolmen , and misapplied by him and succeeding French archaeologists to

228-552: A Mediterranean climate ( Köppen : Csa ) with cool wet winters and hot dry summers. Temperatures tend to increase at lower altitudes near the Douro valley , where temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F) are not uncommon during summer. During July 2022, Alijó broke 2 records at national level: a record high temperature of 47 °C (117 °F), the highest ever recorded in Portugal in July and

304-413: A host to a variety of mosses and lichens which particularly flourish in the humid moist environment of streamside trees. Some common lichens found growing on the trunk and branches include tree lungwort ( Lobaria pulmonaria ), Menneguzzia terebrata and Stenocybe pullatula , the last of which is restricted to alders. Some 47 species of mycorrhizal fungi have been found growing in symbiosis with

380-575: A tumulus (burial mound). Small pad-stones may be wedged between the cap and supporting stones to achieve a level appearance. In many instances, the covering has eroded away, leaving only the stone "skeleton". In Sumba (Indonesia), dolmens are still commonly built (about 100 dolmens each year) for collective graves according to lineage. The traditional village of Wainyapu has some 1,400 dolmens. The word dolmen entered archaeology when Théophile Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne used it to describe megalithic tombs in his Origines gauloises (1796) using

456-439: A diverse forging and prey species, including rabbit , wolf , wild boar , fox and badger ; migratory and endemic birds, such as bee-eaters , tit , owl , cuckoo , lark , Eurasian jay , common blackbird , lesser kestrel , red-legged partridge , European goldfinch , stock doves , hoopoe , dove ( Streptopelia ), typical warbler and nightingale ; while the rivers are stocked with eel , carp and trout . Alijó has

532-426: A full species under the name Betula glutinosa . Its present scientific name is due to Joseph Gaertner , who in 1791 accepted the separation of alders from birches , and transferred the species to Alnus . The epithet glutinosa means "sticky", referring particularly to the young shoots. Within the genus Alnus , the common alder is placed in subgenus Alnus as part of a closely related group of species including

608-648: A second part such as de l'alarb ('of the Arab'), del/de moro/s ('of the Moor/s'), del lladre ('of the thief'), del dimoni ('of the devil'), d'en Rotllà/Rotllan/Rotlan/Roldan ('of Roland '),. In the Basque Country , they are attributed to the jentilak , a race of giants. The etymology of the German : Hünenbett, Hünengrab and Dutch : hunebed – with Hüne / hune meaning 'giant' – all evoke

684-471: A variety of names in other languages, including Galician and Portuguese : anta , Bulgarian : Долмени , romanized :  Dolmeni , German : Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Afrikaans and Dutch : hunebed , Basque : trikuharri , Abkhaz : Adamra , Adyghe : Ispun Danish and Norwegian : dysse , Swedish : dös , Korean : 고인돌 , romanized :  goindol (go-in = 'propped' + dol = 'stone') , and Hebrew : גַלעֵד . Granja

760-527: Is a highly invasive terrestrial plant and is prohibited in Indiana. A. glutinosa is classed as an environmental weed in New Zealand. Pollen from the common alder, along with that from birch and hazel , is one of the many sources of tree pollen allergy. As the pollen is often present in the atmosphere at the same time as that of birch, hazel, hornbeam and oak, and they have similar physicochemical properties, it

836-425: Is capable of enduring clipping as well as marine climatic conditions and may be cultivated as a fast-growing windbreak . In woodland natural regeneration is not possible as the seeds need sufficient nutrients, water and light to germinate. Such conditions are rarely found at the forest floor and as the forest matures, the alder trees in it die out. The species is cultivated as a specimen tree in parks and gardens, and

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912-438: Is causing extensive mortality of the trees in some parts of Europe. The symptoms of this infection include the death of roots and of patches of bark, dark spots near the base of the trunk, yellowing of leaves and in subsequent years, the death of branches and sometimes the whole tree. Taphrina alni is a fungal plant pathogen that causes alder tongue gall, a chemically induced distortion of female catkins. The gall develops on

988-480: Is delimited by the Douro , Tua , Tinhela and Pinhão rivers, and by the mountains of Trás-os-Montes . Alijó is surrounded by the municipalities of Sabrosa , Vila Real , Murça and Carrazeda de Ansiães . In the south it is limited by the Douro River , on whose southern bank is the municipality of São João da Pesqueira . The Pinhão River serves as frontier with the lands of Sabrosa. The Tua River separates Alijó from

1064-444: Is difficult to separate out their individual effects. In central Europe, these tree pollens are the second most common cause of allergic conditions after grass pollen. The common alder is used as a pioneer species and to stabilise river banks, to assist in flood control, to purify water in waterlogged soils and to moderate the temperature and nutrient status of water bodies. It can be grown by itself or in mixed species plantations, and

1140-434: Is in moist ground near rivers, ponds and lakes but it can also grow in drier locations and sometimes occurs in mixed woodland and on forest edges. It tolerates a range of soil types and grows best at a pH of between 5.5 and 7.2. Because of its association with the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Frankia alni , it can grow in nutrient-poor soils where few other trees thrive. European alder does not usually grow in areas where

1216-425: Is inexpensive. All this has made it a favourite of large factories mass producing instruments. Fender has been continuously and uninterruptedly using Alder to make electric guitars since 1956. The bark of the common alder has long been used in tanning and dyeing. The bark and twigs contain 16 to 20% tannic acid but their usefulness in tanning is limited by the strong accompanying colour they produce. Depending on

1292-797: Is native to almost the whole of continental Europe (except for both the extreme north and south) as well as the United Kingdom and Ireland . In Asia its range includes Turkey , Iran and Kazakhstan , and in Africa it is found in Tunisia , Algeria and Morocco and in Libya . It is naturalised in the Azores . It has been introduced, either by accident or by intent, to Canada , the United States , Chile , South Africa , Australia and New Zealand . Its natural habitat

1368-574: Is used for deep foundations of buildings. The piles beneath the Rialto in Venice, and the foundations of several medieval cathedrals are made of alder. The Roman architect Vitruvius mentioned that the timber was used in the construction of the causeways across the Ravenna marshes. The wood is used in joinery, both as solid timber and as veneer , where its grain and colour are appreciated, and it takes dye well. As

1444-491: Is used in Portugal , Galicia , and some parts of Spain . The rarer forms anta and ganda also appear. In Catalan-speaking areas , they are known simply as dolmen , but also by a variety of folk names, including cova ('cave'), caixa ('crate' or 'coffin'), taula ('table'), arca ('chest'), cabana ('hut'), barraca ('hut'), llosa ('slab'), llosa de jaça ('pallet slab'), roca ('rock') or pedra ('stone'), usually combined with

1520-625: The Golan Heights , Jordan , Lebanon , Syria , and southeast Turkey . Dolmens in the Levant belong to a different, unrelated tradition to that of Europe, although they are often treated "as part of a trans-regional phenomenon that spanned the Taurus Mountains to the Arabian Peninsula ." In the Levant, they are of Early Bronze rather than Late Neolithic age. They are mostly found along

1596-510: The common alder , black alder , European alder , European black alder , or just alder , is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae , native to most of Europe, southwest Asia and northern Africa. It thrives in wet locations where its association with the bacterium Frankia alni enables it to grow in poor quality soils. It is a medium-sized, short-lived tree growing to a height of up to 30 metres (98 feet). It has short-stalked rounded leaves and separate male and female flowers in

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1672-552: The cromlech ". Nonetheless it has now replaced cromlech as the usual English term in archaeology, when the more technical and descriptive alternatives are not used. The later Cornish term was quoit – an English-language word for an object with a hole through the middle preserving the original Cornish language term of tolmen – the name of another dolmen-like monument is in fact Mên-an-Tol 'stone with hole' (Standard Written Form: Men An Toll .) In Irish Gaelic , dolmens are called Irish : dolmain . Dolmens are known by

1748-482: The cultivar 'Imperialis' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society 's Award of Garden Merit . The wood is soft, white when first cut, turning to pale red; the knots are attractively mottled. The timber is not used where strength is required in the construction industry, but is used for paper-making, the manufacture of fibreboard and the production of energy. Under water the wood is very durable and

1824-437: The mordant and the methods used, various shades of brown, fawn, and yellowish-orange hues can be imparted to wool, cotton and silk. Alder bark can also be used with iron sulphate to create a black dye which can substitute for the use of sumach or galls . The Laplanders are said to chew the bark and use their saliva to dye leather. The shoots of the common alder produce a yellowish or cinnamon-coloured dye if cut early in

1900-488: The overwinter minimum of -18°C, early low temperatures in November and December may have caused more damage than the intense cold. The common alder is most noted for its symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Frankia alni , which forms nodules on the tree's roots . This bacterium absorbs nitrogen from the air and fixes it in a form available to the tree. In return, the bacterium receives carbon products produced by

1976-677: The Bronze Age to the early Iron Age, with about 40,000 to be found throughout the peninsula. In 2000, the dolmen groups of Jukrim-ri and Dosan-ri in Gochang , Hyosan-ri and Daesin-ri in Hwasun , and Bujeong-ri, Samgeori and Osang-ri in Ganghwa gained World Cultural Heritage status. (See Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites .) They are mainly distributed along the West Sea coastal area and on large rivers from

2052-610: The Douro made the region susceptible to Spanish and Moorish conflict. But, with the Christian Reconquista , after the reigns of Alfonso I and Alfonso II the region of the Trás-os-Montes and Entre-Douro-e-Minho regions became uninhabited (by both Christians and Moors). The territory began to be slowly re-populated, with the new settlements founded around existing Roman castros, rustic villages and abandoned hereditary lands. At

2128-571: The Jordan Rift Valley's eastern escarpment, and in the hills of the Galilee, in clusters near Early Bronze I proto-urban settlements (3700–3000 BCE), additionally restricted by geology to areas allowing the quarrying of slabs of megalithic size. In the Levant, geological constraints led to a local burial tradition with a variety of tomb forms, dolmens being one of them. Dolmens were built in Korea from

2204-818: The Liaoning region of China (the Liaodong Peninsula ) to Jeollanam-do . In North Korea, they are concentrated around the Taedong and Jaeryeong Rivers . In South Korea, they are found in dense concentrations in river basins, such as the Han and Nakdong Rivers , and in the west coast area ( Boryeong in South Chungcheong Province, Buan in North Jeolla Province, and Jeollanam-do. They are mainly found on sedimentary plains, where they are grouped in rows parallel to

2280-431: The absence of clear evidence for this. Human remains, sometimes accompanied by artefacts, have been found in or close to the dolmens which could be scientifically dated using radiocarbon dating . However, it has been impossible to prove that these remains date from the time when the stones were originally set in place. Early in the 20th century, before the advent of scientific dating, it was proposed by Harold Peake that

2356-409: The area include: lavender , camomile ( Matricaria chamomilla ), legumes ( Genista tridentata ), ferns , honeysuckle , mimosa , strawberry tree ( Arbutus unedo ), rosemary , blackberry , gorse , tree heath ( Erica arborea ), heather ( Ericaceae ) and common mullein ( Verbascum thapsus ). Other parts of the municipality include pasture-lands and mixed-use vegetation. The area is known for

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2432-564: The attempted regicide of King Joseph, it what would later be called the Távora affair . At the time the municipality included the parishes of Alijó, Granja, Presandães, Chã, Valdemir, Santa Eugénia, Casas da Serra, Carlão, Franzilhal, Safres, Castedo and Cotas. These parishes pre-date the Portuguese kingdom, while Pinhão (a locality of Gouvães in the municipality of Sabrosa ), Casal de Loivos, Vale de Mendiz and Vilarinho de Cotas (which were villages in

2508-562: The autumn. As the Latin name glutinosa implies, the buds and young leaves are sticky with a resinous gum. The species is monoecious and the flowers are wind-pollinated; the slender cylindrical male catkins are pendulous, reddish in colour and 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) long; the female flowers are upright, broad and green, with short stalks. During the autumn they become dark brown to black in colour, hard, somewhat woody, and superficially similar to small conifer cones. They last through

2584-557: The average daily temperature is above freezing for longer than six months; its range is mainly restricted in Scandinavia , but it also habitats other regions. It requires 500 millimeters of rain to fall annually in the southeastern boundary distribution of Eurasia . Although European alder can withstand winter temperatures as low as -54°C, winter damage causes 80% of young European alder plantings in North Carolina to die back. Given

2660-449: The border with Spain in 1887. The railway is still in use, but now with the eastern terminus at Pocinho . The highest temperatures of the 2022 European heat waves were recorded in the civil parish of Pinhão, reaching 47.0 °C (116.6 °F) on 14 July 2022; a record for July in mainland Portugal. As much as the climate and geography has helped, the region has been endowed with many natural and archaeological traits. The municipality

2736-424: The common alder are short-stalked, rounded, up to 10 centimetres (4 inches) long with a slightly wedge-shaped base and a wavy, serrated margin. They have a glossy dark green upper surface and paler green underside with rusty-brown hairs in the angles of the veins. As with some other trees growing near water, the common alder keeps its leaves longer than do trees in drier situations, and the leaves remain green late into

2812-408: The common alder can affect the ecology of its new locality. It is a fast-growing tree and can quickly form dense woods where little light reaches the ground, and this may inhibit the growth of native plants. The presence of the nitrogen-fixing bacteria and the annual accumulation of leaf litter from the trees also alters the nutrient status of the soil. It also increases the availability of phosphorus in

2888-454: The common alder, both partners benefiting from an exchange of nutrients. As well as several species of Naucoria , these symbionts include Russula alnetorum , the milkcaps Lactarius obscuratus and Lactarius cyathula , and the alder roll-rim Paxillus filamentosus , all of which grow nowhere else except in association with alders. In spring, the catkin cup Ciboria amentacea grows on fallen alder catkins. As an introduced species,

2964-475: The direction of the river or stream. Those found in hilly areas are grouped in the direction of the hill. Also called Muniyaras, these dolmens belong to the Iron Age . These dolmenoids were burial chambers made of four stones placed on edge and covered by a fifth stone called the cap stone. Some of these Dolmenoids contain several burial chambers, while others have a quadrangle scooped out in laterite and lined on

3040-459: The district of Vila Real. From the number of motorized vehicles registered (7576) within the municipality there is some inference that a level of progress has been attained within the community as a whole. Administratively, the municipality is divided into 14 civil parishes ( freguesias ): In 1996, the number of residents linked to the economic sectors of the population included: 46.6% in the primary sector, 18% in industry and manufacturing, while

3116-561: The dolmens of western Europe were evidence of cultural diffusion from the eastern Mediterranean. This "prospector theory" surmised that Aegean-origin prospectors had moved westward in search of metal ores, starting before 2200 BCE, and had taken the concept of megalithic architecture with them. Dolmens can be found in the Levant , some along the Jordan Rift Valley ( Upper Galilee in Israel ,

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3192-462: The endemic vegetation and natural aquifers. There are several tracts of land in Alijó with forests, constituted essentially of wild pine, interspersed by alders ( Alnus glutinosa ), oak , chestnut ( Castanea sativa ), ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ), bay laurel ( Laurus nobilis ), willow , cork oak ( Quercus suber ) and juniper . The local industry, based on cork and resin, contributes the regional economic development. The brush and small plants in

3268-419: The form of catkins . The small, rounded fruits are cone-like and the seeds are dispersed by wind and water. The common alder provides food and shelter for wildlife, with a number of insects, lichens and fungi being completely dependent on the tree. It is a pioneer species , colonising vacant land and forming mixed forests as other trees appear in its wake. Eventually common alder dies out of woodlands because

3344-469: The fountains, roads and bridges that cross Alijó. During the 6th century some of the settlements were ecclesiastical parishes during the Suebi occupation: many of the local toponymies date to this era, including Sanfins (de São Félix), Santa Eugénia, São João Baptista (de Castedo), São Domingos (at that time an organ of Favaios), Santa Águeda (de Carlão) or São Tiago (de Vila Chã). But, its southern border along

3420-551: The grey alder, A. incana , with which it hybridizes to form the hybrid A.  × hybrida . Both species are diploid . In 2017, populations formerly considered to be A. glutinosa were found to be separate, polyploid species: A. lusitanica , which is native to the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco, and A. rohlenae , which is native to the western part of the Balkan Peninsula . The common alder

3496-469: The ground, and the tree's dense network of roots can cause increased sedimentation in pools and waterways. It spreads easily by wind-borne seed, may be dispersed to a certain extent by birds and the woody fruits can float away from the parent tree. When the tree is felled, regrowth occurs from the stump, and logs and fallen branches can take root. In the Midwestern United States , Alnus glutinosa

3572-402: The highest average temperature ever, wich was 29.4 °C (84.9 °F) with a mean maximum temperature of 39.3 °C (102.7 °F), the second highest ever recorded in the country, after Alvega . Situated in the district of Vila Real, the rural communities of the municipality include 14,334 residents, of which 13,655 are permanent. Following the exodus of 13.9% of this population in 1991,

3648-703: The image of giants buried ( bett / bed / grab = 'bed/grave') there. Of other Celtic languages , Welsh cromlech was borrowed into English and quoit is commonly used in English in Cornwall . It remains unclear when, why and by whom the earliest dolmens were made. The oldest known are found in Western Europe , dating from c. 7,000 years ago. Archaeologists still do not know who erected these dolmens, which makes it difficult to know why they did it. They are generally all regarded as tombs or burial chambers, despite

3724-555: The inner bark can be boiled in vinegar to provide a skin wash for treating dermatitis, lice and scabies. The leaves have been used to reduce breast discomfort in nursing mothers and folk remedies advocate the use of the leaves against various forms of cancer. Alpine farmers are said to use the leaves to alleviate rheumatism by placing a heated bag full of leaves on the affected areas. Alder leaves are consumed by cows, sheep, goats and horses though pigs refuse to eat them. According to some people, consumption of alder leaves causes blackening of

3800-579: The land began after the 12th-13th century, with the settlement by nobles and high nobility, including the Távora family (the Marquess of Távora would become the first donatário of Alijó). The Távoras remained the governing elite of the region for most of the subsequent periods (even during the Iberian Union ), until the reign of Joseph I . During the monarch's era the entire family was executed and/or imprisoned for

3876-462: The left side of river Pambar as is evident from the usage of neatly dressed granite slabs for the dolmens. At least one of them has a perfectly circular hole of 28 cm diameter inside the underground chamber. This region has several types of dolmens. Large number of them are overground with about 70–90 cm height. Another type has a height 140–170 cm. There is an overground dolmen with double length up to 350 cm. Fragments of burial urns are also available in

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3952-518: The majority, 38.4%, were associated with the tertiary sector. Generally, the rural municipality falls within the Douro DOC , is essentially agricultural in economic activity with some small commerce. The viticulture , fine wine producers, over the centuries have practiced a technique of sculpting the landscape around the Douro River and other tributaries, acting as arterial veins to transport wine down to

4028-415: The maturing fruits and produces spores which are carried by the wind to other trees. This gall is believed to be harmless to the tree. Another, also harmless, gall is caused by a midge, Eriophyes inangulis , which sucks sap from the leaves forming pustules . The common alder is important to wildlife all year round and the seeds are a useful winter food for birds. Deer, sheep, hares and rabbits feed on

4104-664: The municipality of Carrazeda de Ansiães, and the tributary of the Tua (the Tinhela River) divides the municipality from Murça. The ravines that flow into the Tua are the Alijó, São Mamede, Fragoso, Souto and Rebousa; the Douro is fed by the Roncão, Castedo and Canada; and the Pinhão River is served by the confluence of the Ribalonga, Russilhão, São Vicente and Monim. Several smaller tributaries provide

4180-419: The nitrogen-rich leaves falling to the ground enrich the soil and increase the production of such trees as walnut , Douglas-fir and poplar on poor quality soils. Although the tree can live for up to 160 years, it is best felled for timber at 60 to 70 years before heart rot sets in. On marshy ground it is important as coppice-wood , being cut near the base to encourage the production of straight poles. It

4256-480: The other municipalities in the Douro region, referred to as the terra quente ( hot lands ). On 15 December 2001, a portion of the municipality was incorporated into UNESCO's world heritage designation; it includes a fraction of the vineyards of Sanfins do Douro, Vale de Mendiz, Casal de Loivos, Cotas, Castedo and de São Mamede de Riba Tua, until Ribatua. Rainfall in the region occurs 50 days per year, with normal intensities of 10 mm per day on average, supporting

4332-520: The parish of Celeirós , also in Gouviães). Pópulo, Pegarinhos and Santa Eugénia which were parishes of the municipality of Murça were annexed to Alijó during the administrative reforms of 1853. The creation of the modern municipality of Alijó occurred in January 1854. The Douro railway line was opened as far east as Pinhão in 1880, with a further eastwards extension to Tua in 1883 and eventually reaching

4408-420: The population has seen a steady decrease in overall inhabitants, with a loss of .3% to 1.4% since the 1997 count. In 1991, there were a registered 5291 residential homes, ten years later this number grew to 8784 dwellings. Yet, the number of families slightly increased during this period passing from 5291 (in 1991) to 5784 during the 2001 census (approximately a 1.6% increase). These numbers place Alijó sixth within

4484-410: The rate of assimilation is lower. This means that as a tree in woodland grows taller, the lower branches die and soon decay, leaving a small crown and unbranched trunk. A. glutinosa was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, as one of two varieties of alder (the other being Alnus incana ), which he regarded as a single species Betula alnus . In 1785, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck treated it as

4560-533: The region has several landscapes, archaeological sites and cultural activities to attract tourists or vacationers. Dolmens A dolmen ( / ˈ d ɒ l m ɛ n / ) or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb , usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the Late Neolithic period (4000–3000 BCE ) and were sometimes covered with earth or smaller stones to form

4636-423: The region near the dolmens. This indicates that the dolmens with 70–90 cm height were used for burial of the remains of people of high social status. Burial urns were used for the burial of the remains of commoners. The dolmens with raised roofs might have been used for habitation of people. Why some people lived in the cemeteries has not been satisfactorily explained. Alnus glutinosa Alnus glutinosa ,

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4712-435: The seedlings need more light than is available on the forest floor . Its more usual habitat is forest edges , swamps and riverside corridors. The timber has been used in underwater foundations and for manufacture of paper and fibreboard, for smoking foods, for joinery, turnery and carving. Products of the tree have been used in ethnobotany , providing folk remedies for various ailments, and research has shown that extracts of

4788-444: The seeds are active against pathogenic bacteria. A. glutinosa is a tree that thrives in moist soils, and grows under favourable circumstances to a height of 20 to 30 metres (66 to 98 feet) and exceptionally up to 37 m (121 ft). Young trees have an upright habit of growth with a main axial stem but older trees develop an arched crown with crooked branches. The base of the trunk produces adventitious roots which grow down to

4864-642: The seeds could be further investigated for use in the development of possible anti-MRSA drugs. It is also the traditional wood that is burnt to produce smoked fish and other smoked foods, though in some areas other woods are now more often used. It supplies high quality charcoal . The leaves of this tree are sticky and if they are spread on the floor of a room, their adhesive surface is said to trap fleas. Chemical constituents of Alnus glutinosa include hirsutanonol , oregonin , genkwanin , rhododendrin {3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-l-methylpropyl-β-D-glucopyranoside} and ( penta-2,3-dienedioic acid ). Alnus glutinosa

4940-503: The sides with granite slabs. These are also covered with cap stones. Dozens of Dolmens around the area of old Siva temple (Thenkasinathan Temple) at Kovilkadavu on the banks of the River Pambar and also around the area called Pius nagar, and rock paintings on the south-western slope of the plateau overlooking the river have attracted visitors. Apart from the dolmens of Stone Age, several dolmens of Iron Age exist in this region especially on

5016-402: The soil and may appear to be propping the trunk up. The bark of young trees is smooth, glossy and greenish-brown while in older trees it is dark grey and fissured. The branches are smooth and somewhat sticky, being scattered with resinous warts. The buds are purplish-brown and have short stalks. Both male and female catkins form in the autumn and remain dormant during the winter. The leaves of

5092-468: The spelling dolmin (the current spelling was introduced about a decade later and had become standard in French by about 1885). The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED ) does not mention dolmin in English and gives its first citation for dolmen from a book on Brittany in 1859, describing the word as "The French term, used by some English authors, for a cromlech ...". The name was supposedly derived from

5168-458: The time of the Inquirições ( Inventory / Inquiries ) in 1220, there were five ecclesiastical parishes in the territory of Alijó: Alijó, Favaios, Sanfins do Douro, São Mamede de Riba-Tua and Vilar de Maçada. The following year (April 1226) he issued a royal charter ( foral ), and renewed in successive years (by Afonso III , on 15 November 1269, and by Manuel I on 10 July 1514). The occupation of

5244-478: The tongue and is harmful to horses. In a research study, extracts from the seeds of the common alder have been found to be active against all the eight pathogenic bacteria against which they were tested, which included Escherichia coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The only extract to have significant antioxidant activity was that extracted in methanol . All extracts were of low toxicity to brine shrimps . These results suggest that

5320-406: The tree and it provides shelter for livestock in winter. It shades the water of rivers and streams, moderating the water temperature, and this benefits fish which also find safety among its exposed roots in times of flood. The common alder is the foodplant of the larvae of a number of different butterflies and moths and is associated with over 140 species of plant-eating insect. The tree is also

5396-400: The tree through photosynthesis . This relationship, which improves the fertility of the soil, has established the common alder as an important pioneer species in ecological succession . The common alder is susceptible to Phytophthora alni , a recently evolved species of oomycete plant pathogen probably of hybrid origin. This is the causal agent of phytophthora disease of alder which

5472-458: The urban centres in Vila Nova de Gaia and Porto . In addition, the land also supports herding in pastures, and is divided into two distinct areas: a northern zone, rich in olive oil, cereals, legumes, potato and almonds; and a southern area that focuses on wine production. There is no clear indication of the number of day-trips, bus tours or tourist-specific adventures into the region annually, but

5548-423: The watershed with sources of water, but the local population is supported by dam located three kilometres from Presandães, which receives in its reservoir the waters from many of the small ravines. Characteristically rural, Alijó is marked by two distinct regions: the north, terra fria ( cold lands ) is primarily forested or mountainous, while the south, is composed of rocky escarpments and river-valleys typical of

5624-414: The winter and the small winged seeds are mostly scattered the following spring. The seeds are flattened reddish-brown nuts edged with webbing filled with pockets of air. This enables them to float for about a month which allows the seed to disperse widely. Unlike some other species of tree, common alders do not produce shade leaves. The respiration rate of shaded foliage is the same as well-lit leaves but

5700-544: The wood is soft, flexible and somewhat light, it can be easily worked as well as split. It is also valued in turnery, carving, furniture making, window frames, clogs , toys, blocks, pencils and bowls. European (common) Alder is a tonewood commonly used in the manufacture of electric guitars . It exhibits a balanced, even tone with a good mid-midrange projection making it suitable for a wide variety of musical applications. It's relatively lightweight, easy to work and sand, accepts glue, stain , paint and finish very well and

5776-550: The year. Other parts of the tree are also used in dyeing; the catkins can yield a green colour and the fresh-cut wood a pinkish-fawn colour. The bark of common alder has traditionally been used as an astringent , a cathartic , a hemostatic , a febrifuge , a tonic and a restorative (a substance able to restore normal health). A decoction of the bark has been used to treat swelling, inflammation and rheumatism, as an emetic , and to treat pharyngitis and sore throat . Ground up bark has been used as an ingredient in toothpaste, and

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