238 



Minnesota Plant Life. 



rins^ in different clusters, and both kinds are arranged in erect 

 spikes or drooping catkins. The fruit is an oblong or rounded 

 capsule containing small seeds with numerous white silky hairs 

 instrumental in distribution of the plantlets in currents of air. 

 There is no albumen in the seeds. 



Poplars. 'IMie ])oplars in Minnesota are represented by the 

 very conunon white ])oplar. the large-toothed poplar, the Cot- 

 tonwood, the balsam-poplar, the balm of Gilead. the silver- 

 leafed i)()plar — sometimes called silxer-leafed mai:)le — and the 

 Tombardy ])<)])]ar. The last two are not natixc ])]ants. l)ut 

 occur spontaneously, having escaped from cultixation in some 



|)arts of the state. ( )f them 

 all. the white poplar is the 

 most abundant tree through- 

 out the northern part of the 

 state, and is not uncommon 

 in the southern counties. 

 This, indeed, is the most widely 

 distributed tree in North 

 America. It often reaches 

 a height of se\-enty-five or 

 one hundred feet. l)ut in the 

 region of the Great Lakes does 

 not ai)parentl}' grow so large. 

 The wood is soft and is of 

 <?^ 2 7;^ great im])ortance. together 



Km;. 107. Cottonwood, .-^fltr Hrittoii ami witll S])rUCe. aS tllC \arietV CUl- 



])loyed in making wood-pulp, 

 from which ])aper is manufactured. It is used also for fire- 

 wood, and is a most ])romincnl i)lant in burned ilistricts. readily 

 reaching llieni b\- its l)uo\;int air-distributed seeds. The leaves 

 are hung upon ^tenis of peculiar sha])e and trenil)le in the slight- 

 est breeze. 



The large-toothed poplar has much ami)ler leaves with broad 

 teeth upon their m;n-gins. I^>y these characters it may be dis- 

 tinguished from the white ])o|)lar. It prefers soil damper than 

 does its relati\e and is generally toiuid upon the more sheltered 

 banks of lakes. Its wood is abo of \alne in tln' nianufactiu'C 

 of paper. 



