﻿Trees of New York State 127 



SALICACEAE 



Populus alba L. 



White Poplar, Silver-leaved Poplar, Abele 



Habit — A large tree, sometimes attaining a height of 80-100 feet with a 

 trunk diameter of 2-4 feet, usually 40-70 feet tall. Crown irregular, open, 

 broad and round-topped. Bole massive, breaking up 10-20 feet above the 

 ground into stout, ascending limbs and arching, somewhat pendaut t^^^gs. 

 Propagates naturally by suckers. 



Leaves — Alternate, borne on long, slender, white-tomentose or nearly gla- 

 brate, terete petioles, in. the tj^pe form suborbicular to broadly ovate, 

 obtuse or acute at the apex, trun.cate or cordate at the base, irregularly 

 sinuate-dentate, 2-4 inches long, at maturity firm, dark green, smooth, 

 and somewhat lustrous above, white-tomentose or pale-glabratc below. 

 The variety Populus alho, var. nivea Wesm. with palmately 3-5-lobed 

 leaves which are white velvety-tomentose below, is a common ' ' escape ' ' in 

 this country. 



Flowers — Appearing before the leaves from separate flower-buds, dioecious, 

 borne in the axils of obovate, dentate, hairy scales, the whole forming 

 pendulous, densely flowered, hairy, cylindrical aments 2-3 inches long. 

 Perianth wanting. Stamens 6-10, with short slender filaments and pale 

 purple anthers, inserted on the oblique, cup-shaped disk. Pistil solitary, 

 enclosed at the base by the closely appressed disk, consisting of an ovoid 

 ovary and 2 nearly sessile, 2-lobed, yellow stigmas. 



Fruit — ■ An ovoid-oblong, canescent, short pedicellate capsule, about 3/16 of an 

 inch long. The capsules are borne in naked, pendant, rather stout- 

 stemmed aments 2-2i/> inches long, mature in late May or June, and open 

 by 2 valves to set free the minute, white-comose seeds. 



Winter characters — Twgs rather stout, lenticellate, purplish or olive-brown, 

 white-tomentose, becoming smooth and gray the second season. Flower- 

 and leaf -buds distinct. Leaf -buds ovate-oblong, acute, white-downy, y^-V-t 

 of an inch long. Flower-buds ovoid, blunter and more divergent. Bark on 

 young treees or large limbs gi-ayish or greenish white, smooth or roughened 

 by brownish warty excrescences. Mature bark brownish black. Deeply 

 fissured, with rough, irregular ridges. 



Habitat — A rapidly growing tree thriving best in deep, moist, alluvial soils 

 where a constant supply of moisture is assured. 



Kange — Native of southern Europe, Asia and northern Africa. Long culti- 

 vated as an ornamental and shade tree about dooryards and estates, 

 spreading readily, chiefly through its stolouiferous roots. Zones A, B, 

 and C. 



Uses — Valuable chiefly as an ornamental tree because of its showy leaves. 

 "Wood light, soft, weak, close-grained, pale reddish yellow with nearly 

 wliite sapwood. Occasionally used for light fuel in this country, and 

 abroad for packing cases and flooring. 



