DIOECIA— OCTANDRIA. ' Populus. ^245 



the name J and the proverbial '' trembling of an Aspen leaf," 

 Stiputas awl-shaped, hairy like the very youngest leaves, which 

 alone they accompany. Barren catkins lax, near 3 inches long, 

 with deep-cut hniry scales. Stam. S, occasionally perhaps more. 

 Fertile ones rather shorter, their scales palmate and acutely 

 notched, brown, hairy. Germ, roundish, sheathed by the corolla. 

 -Stigmas 4, erect, awl-shaped, triangular, bright crimson 3 the 

 outer edge more or less wavy, extending at the base into two 

 small, oblong, reflexed, wavy auricles, each common to two of 

 the stigmas, and, when fresh, of the same rich colour. 

 The wood is white, soft, light, and of a fine grain j the bar/c, ac- 

 cording to Linnieus, the favourite food of Eeavcrs. He thought 

 lie detected in it the flavour of the drug called Castor. 



4. P. nigra. Black Poplar. 



Leaves deltoid, pointed, serrated, smooth on both sides. 

 Catkins all lax and cylindrical. Stigmas ibur, simple, 

 spreading. 



P. nigra. Linn. Sp. PL ] 464. Willd. v. 4. S04. Fl.Br.\08\. Engl. 

 not.v.27.t.]9\0. Hook. Scot. 28'). RaiiSyn.446. Ger.Em. 

 148G./. L06. lev. 2. 194./. Bauh.Hist.v.\.p.2.\bb.f. Matth. 

 Valgr.v.\.\24.f. Camer. Epit.GG.f. Dod. Pcmpt. 836. f. Da- 

 lech. Hist. 86. f. Mill. Illustr. t. 90. 



P. n. 1632. Hall. Hist.v. 2. 302. 



P. alba. Trag.Hist. 1080./ 



In watery places, about the banks of rivers. 



Tree. March. 



A tall umbrageous tree, without suckers. Jf'oodiongh, and close- 

 grained. Bark thick, blackish, somewhat spongy. Branches 

 smootii ; rarely hairy when young. Leaves twice the length ot 

 i\\e\v footstalks, deltoid, or unequally quadrangular, deej) green, 

 very smooth, pointed, serrated ; the base more entire, as in the 

 other species j the under side ])alest. Catkins all long, loose 

 aiul pendulous, measuring 3 or 4 inches. Scales of both kinds 

 ])almate, hairy, occasionally smooth, Stam. S, scarcely more 

 witli us, though Linnieus and Leers describe \6. Germ, ovate, 

 but slender, closely sheathed at the base only with the regular 

 cup. like corolla. Stigm. 4, awl-shaped, simple, moderately 

 spreading, reddish. 



The stigmas ])rove J. Miller's i)lale to be so far correct, though re- 

 ferred in I'l. Br. to B. canescens, to which i)0ssibly the leaves may 

 belong. 



Several species or varieties, more or less agreeing with our's, but 

 not yet noticed wild in England, have been sent from Hremen 

 by the accurate Prof. Mittens. They mirit examination in their 

 parts of fructilicalion, which by the foregoing descriptions appear 



