﻿Trees of New YorJ: State 135 



SALICACEAE 



Popuhis balsaiiiifcra L. 



Balsam Poplar, Tacamahac 



Habit — A tree attaining a height of 60-70 feet with a tnink diameter of 1-3 

 feet, under optimum conditions in the forest sometimes 100 feet tall. 

 Crown rather narrow, irregular, open, bluntly pyramidal in exposed trees, 

 consisting of stout, sparse, erect branches which are bushy at the ends. 

 Propagates by root suckers. 



Leaves — Alternate, borne on long, slender, sniootli, terete petioles, ovate to 

 ovate-lanceolate, acuminate at the apex, rounded or cordate at the base, 

 finely crenate-serrate, 3-6 inches long, 1 1/4-3 inches wide, at maturity thiu 

 but firm in texture, dark green and lustrous above, paler and somewhat 

 rusty, and reticulate-veined below. Stipules oblong-lanceolate, ciliate. 

 about % of an inch long, tardily fugacious. 



Flowers — Appearing in April and May before the leaves from separate 

 flower-buds, dioecious, borne in the axils of light broAvn, obovate, hairy, 

 laciniate scales, the whole forming pendulous, densely flowered, hairy, 

 cylindrical aments, 2V^-4 inches long. Perianth wanting. Stamens 20- 

 30, with short, slender filaments and light red anthers, inserted on an 

 oblique, short-stalked, shalloAv disk. Pistil solitary, enclosed at the base 

 by the cup-shaped, slightly lobed disk, consisting of an ovoid, slightly 

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



Fruit — An ovoid-oblong, light brown, thin-walled, pedunculate capsule, acute 

 and often curved at the apex, about V^ of an inch long. The capsules are 

 borne rather closely in pedmiculate, stout-stalked, naked aments 4-5 inches 

 long and open by 2 opposite sutures in late May or June to set free the 

 minute, pale brown, white-eomose seeds. 



"Winter characters — Twigs stout, lenticellate, smooth, lustrous, bright red- 

 dish brown, at length dull orange and finally 3-ello\\'ish or greenish gray. 

 Flower- and leaf-buds distinct. Leaf-buds ovat-e, acuminate, usually 

 divergent, dark red, water-proofed with a fragrant, amber-colored resin 

 which exhales a pleasing odor as the buds unfold in the spring, ^/^-l inch 

 long. Flower-buds similar but somewhat broader. Bark on young trunks 

 and limbs smooth, light reddish brown. Mature bark dark gray tinged 

 ■\\'ith red, thick, with narrow fissures and broad scaly ridges. 



Habitat — Prefers alhn-ial soils in the bottom-lands of river valleys, along 

 banks of streams and lake shores, borders of swamps, etc. A moisture- 

 lo^nng species, occasionally grottdng in drier situations. 



Range — A transcontinental species widely spread throughout Canada, from 

 Labrador to Alaska, south into northern New England, New York, Michi- 

 gan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Montana, Nevada and Oregon. 

 Zones C and D. 



Uses — AVood light, soft, weak, close-grained, pale brown with tliick, nearly 

 white sapwood. Intermixed with that of other species in the manufacture 

 of pulp. Occasionally manufactured into small wooden containers such as 

 pails and boxes. 



