The Trees of Vermont f)7 



SALICACEAE 



Large-toothed Aspen 

 Populus grandidentata Michx. 



Habit. — A medium-sized tree 30-50 feet high, with a slender 

 trunk 12-20 inches in diameter ; forming a loose, oval or rounded 

 crown of slender, spreading branches and coarse spray. 



Leaves. — Alternate, simple, 3-5 inches long, two-thirds as broad : 

 orbicular-ovate ; coarsely and irregularly sinuate-toothed ; thin and 

 firm ; dark green above, paler beneath, glabrous both sides ; petioles 

 long, slender, laterally compressed. 



Flowers. — April-May, before the leaves ; dioecious ; the stam- 

 inatc in short-stalked catkins 1-3 inches long; the pistillate in loose- 

 tlowered, long-stalked catkins at first about the same length, but grad- 

 ually elongating; calyx 0; corolla 0; stamens 6-12, with red anthers; 

 stigmas 2, 2-lobed, red. 



Fruit.— May-June ; 2-valved, conical, acute, hairy capsules % 

 inch long, borne in drooping catkins 4-6 inches long; seeds minute, dark 

 brown, hairy. 



Winter-buds. — Terminal bud y^ inch long, ovoid to conical, acute, 

 light chestnut, puberulous, dusty-looking. 



Bark. — Twdgs greenish gray and at first hoary-tomentose, be- 

 coming lustrous, orange or red-brown and finally greenish gray ; thick, 

 dark red-brown or blackish at the base of old trunks, irregularly 

 fissured, with broad, flat ridges. 



Wood. — Light, soft, weak, close-grained, light brown, with thin, 

 whitish sapwood. 



Distribution. — Frequent throughout Vermont. 



Habitat. — Prefers rich, moist, sandy soil ; rich woods. 



Notes. — -The name of this tree suggests an easy way of identify- 

 ing it. The coarse-toothed margin of the leaf is a constant charac- 

 teristic and may be relied upon. The pollen-bearing catkins are seen 

 first, the ovule-bearing catkins appearing a little later on other trees. 

 The fruits ripen when the leaves are unfolding. Tlie young leaves are 

 downy-wdiite on both sides, but later become green and smooth. 



