242 DIOECIA— OCTANDRIA. Populus. 



V. sylvestris. Dod. Pempt. 401./. 



In tall hedges, shady thickets, groves and woods, common. 



Perennial. June. 



Root large and fleshy, black externally, white within ; of an acrid 

 quality, formerly used for stimulating plaisters, and sometimes 

 given internally as an expectorant, or diuretic. Stems twining, 

 climbing without tendrils to a considerable height, gracefully 

 hanging in festoons, adorned with scarlet berries, from tree to 

 tree, in autumn. The whole plant is smooth. Leaves bright 

 green, shining, entire. Stipules in pairs, awl-shaped. Fl. 

 greenish white, in imperfectly whorled, axillary, stalked clusters, 

 with minute hracteas under their partial stalky resembling the 

 stipulas, but smaller. 



DIOECIA OCTANDRIA. 



456. POPULUS. Poplar. 



Linn. Gen. 526. Juss. 409. R. Br. \079. Tourn.t.365. Lam. 

 t.8\9. Gcertn.t. 90. 



Nat. Ord. Amentacece. Linn. 50. Juss. 99. See n. 448. 



Barr.Jl. Catldn oblong, cylindrical, loosely imbricated 

 every way, many-flowered. Col. a single-flowered, wedge- 

 shaped, flat scale., unequally jagged at the summit. Cor. 

 of 1 petal; turbinate and tubular below; dilated, un- 

 divided, obliquely cup-shaped in the border. Filam. 8, 

 or more, capillary, very short. Anth. drooping, large, 

 quadrangular. 



Fert.Jl. Catkin as in the harr.fl. but generally shorter. 

 Scale and Cor. similar to the harr.jl. Germ, superior, 

 ovate, i^ointed. S,tyle none. Stigm. 4 or 8, awl-shaped. 

 Ca])s. ovate, of 2 concave valves, and 1 cell. Seeds 

 numerous, small, ovate, each crowned with a tuft of fine 

 hairs. 



Lofty trees, with gummy buds, and deciduous, alternate, 

 roundish or angular, stalked leaves. Stipidas in pairs. 

 Catkins early, pendulous. Natives of Europe and North 

 America. 



