﻿Trees of New York State 221 



MAGNOLIACEAE 



Liriodeudron tulipifera L. 



Yellow Poplar, Tulip Tree 



Habit — Oue of the largest trees of the eastern states, in the south commonly 

 150 feet in height with a straight trunk 5-6 feet through* and free of 

 branches for 60-80 feet, in New York State usually 50-80 feet tall with 

 a trunk diameter of 2-3 feet. In the open the erowTi is narrowly pyra- 

 midal or oblong, the branches extending to -within 8-10 feet of the 

 ground. Trees in the forest have flat, wide-spreading cro^Tis borne aloft 

 on tall, straight, naked trunks. 



Leaves — Alternate, broadly ovate to orbicular. 5—6 inches long and broad, 

 truncate or broadly notched at the apex, rounded or slightly cuneate at 

 the base, sinuately 4-lobed. at maturity dark green, smooth and lustrous 

 above, dull green and paler below, borne on slender angled petioles 5—6 

 inches long. 



Flowers — Appearing during May and June after the leaves, terminal, soli- 

 tary, greenish yellow with orange markings, cup-shaped, 2-5 inches Avide, 

 l-ll^ inches deep, perfect. Sepals 3, ovate-lanceolate, greenish white, 

 at length reflexed and early deciduous. Petals 6, broadly ovate, rounded, 

 erect, light green marked Avith orange at the base, deciduous. Stamens 

 numerous, inserted in many ranks on the base of the torus, with filiform 

 filaments and linear yellow anthers, deciduous after anthesis. Pistils 

 densely imbricated on the elongated receptacle, each consisting of a 

 1-celled ovary surmounted by an acuminate and laterally compressed style 

 and short recurved stigma. 



Fruit — A light brown cone, 2-3 inches long, composed of many closely 

 imbricated, indehiscent carpels (samaroids). Carpels dry, woody, con- 

 sisting of a laterally compressed. 4-ribbed pericarp and large, persistent, 

 winged style, falling during the autumn and winter from the persistent, 

 upright cone-axis. Seed solitary by abortion. 



Winter characters — • T-\vigs rather stout, smooth, lustrous, somewhat glau- 

 cous, reddish broAATi. at length dark gray. Pith diaphragmed-stuffed. 

 Terminal bud oblong, compressed, obtuse, dark red, glaucous and white- 

 punctate, i/o-l inch long, the scales stipular and valvate in pairs. Lateral 

 buds similar, divergent, sometimes superposed or terminal on short spurs, 

 %-% of an inch long. Mature bark tliick, brown, with long shallow 

 furrows and rounded ridges. 



Habitat — Prefers deep moist soil in admixture with other species. Occurs 

 along streams, on bottom-lands, and on moist mountain slopes. 



Bange — Ehode Island and southwestern Vermont westward through Ontario 

 to Wisconsin, south to Florida and Arkansas. Zones A. B and C. 



Uses — A valuable timber species producing the Yellow Poplar or White- 

 wood of commerce. Wood light, soft, brittle, weak, straight-grained, 

 pale greenish yellow or brown with thin, nearly white sapwood. Largely 

 manufactured into lumber and used where a soft, easily-worked wood is 

 required. The tree is AAidely cultivated in the east and abroad for its 

 ornamental value. 



* Trees are known which have reached a height of 200 feet with a trunk diameter 

 of 8-10 feet. 



