308 WILLOW FAMILY. 



* * Flowers slightly earlier than the leaves but rather late in spring, on lateral 



catkins which have 4 or 5 leafy bracts at their base. 

 S. COrd^ta. A common wild species along streams, badly named, as the 

 leaves are seldom heart-shaped at base and generally lanceolate, often tapering 

 to both ends, sharply serrate, smooth, pale or whitish beneath ; .stipules on 

 young shoots conspicuous, ovate or kidney-shaped ; ovary slender-stalked, 

 tapering, smooth. 



* * * Flowers in loose catkins terminating leafy latfral shoots of the season, thei-e- 



fore later than the leaves, in late spring or early summa:. 



S. longif61ia, Long-leaved W. Wild on river-banks N. : low shrub or 

 low tree, with very long lance-linear nearly sessile sparsely denticulate leaves 

 grayish-hairy when young ; catkins with narrow yellowish scales ; the stalked 

 silky-downy ovary bearing large stigmas. 



S. Babylonica, Weeping W. Planted from the Orient : a familiar tree, 

 with very slender drooping branches, and linear-lanceolate leaves white beneath ; 

 in the monstrous variety called annularis. Hoop W., curved into a ring. 



S. ^Iba, White W., commonly the var. vitellina, with yellow twigs : 

 planted from Eu. ; a familiar tree ; leaves lanceolate, serrate, white-silky under- 

 neath ; stipules lanceolate ; ovary nearly sessile and smooth. 



S. fragilis, Brittle W., from Eu. (so called because the twigs, used for 

 basket-work, &c., break off readily from their base, as in sevei'al other species) ; 

 large tree, with lanceolate tapcr-jiointed leaves white but smooth beneath, half 

 heart-shaped stipules, and nearly sessile smooth ovary. 



§ 3. Stamens 3-5 or more, separate : catkins late-floicering, terminating leafy 

 branches of the season as in the preceding species : stamens hairy : ovary 

 smooth : scales deciduous : leaves serrate, smooth. 



S. nigra, Black W. Low river-banks : wild tree, with rough black bark, 

 narrow-lanceolate taper-pointed leaves, 3-6 stamens, and short-ovate pods. 



S. pentandra, Bay W. A handsome tree, planted from Eu. for the deep 

 green very glossy lanceolate taper-pointed leaves, of the same hue both sides, 

 the large staminate catkins of golden yellow flowers also handsome : skimens 

 4-12, commonly 5 ; pods tapering. 



S. Iticida, American Bay W. Wild in wet ground N. : very like the 

 last, but a shrub, with shorter catkins on a less leafy short branch. 



2. POPULUS, POPLAR, ASPEN. (Classical Latin name.) Fl. spring. 



§ 1. Buds not glutinous : leaves cottony, at least beneath, even when old. 



P. Mba, Abele or White P. Tree planted from Eu., with spreading 

 branches, roundish slightly heart-shaped wavy-toothed or lobed leaves soon 

 green above, very white-cottony beneath : spreads inveterately by the root. 



§ 2. Buds not glutinous : leaves cottony when developed, but soon smooth and 

 green both sides : bark smooth and close, greenish-white. 



P. tremuloides, American Aspen. Small tree, common in woods N. ; 

 with small roundish-heart-shaped leaves beset with small regular teeth; scales 

 of the catkin cut into 3 or 4 linear lobes, fringed with long hairs. 



P. grandident^ta, Larger American Aspen. Middle-.'^ized tree, com- 

 mon in woods : the larger roundish-ovate leaves with coarse and irregular blunt 

 teeth ; scales unequally 5 - 6-cleft, slightly fringed. 



P. heterophj/'lla, Downy Poplar. Wet grounds, common only W. & 

 S. : tree 40° - 60° high ; leaves round-ovate or heart-shaped with the sinus 

 closed by the overlapping lobes, obtuse, serrate with incurved teeth, 3'- 5' long, 

 white wool deciduous only with age, leaving traces on the veins beneath and on 

 the petioles ; fruiting catkins smooth. 



§ 3. Buds glutinous with aromatic resin or balsam: leaves smooth from the first. 



P. dilat^ta, Lombardy p. Stiff spiry tree, with closely appressed branches, 

 and small broadly triangular pointed leaves, formerly much planted, from the 

 Old World, — thought to be a remarkable state of 



