218 POPULUS 



angled. Leaves ovate-triangular, with a broad, straight base, and a short, 

 abrupt, slender apex ; 2 to 6 ins. wide and long, regularly round-toothed, the 

 margin cartilaginous and at first minutely hairy ; one or more glands occur 

 at the base near the stalk, which is ij to i\ ins. long, smooth, compressed. 

 Catkins 3 to 4 ins. long ; flower-stalks smooth ; anthers rich red. 



A hybrid between P. nigra and probably P. monilifera, which was introduced 

 to Britain about the middle of the eighteenth century. It appears to have 

 originated earlier in the century in France, where it is known as the Swiss poplar 

 peuplier suisse], and is now the commonest of poplars in that country also in 

 this, where it is often known as the "Canadian poplar." It is probably the 

 quickest growing of all trees in Great Britain that attain large size, and 

 produces a given bulk of timber in a shorter time than any. Starting late in 

 growth and very hardy, it is never injured by late frosts, and it possesses 

 great value as a timber tree in localities where its wood can be disposed of, 

 or readily converted into planks. Although too soft to be of much use for 

 permanent work, it is valuable for the many temporary uses for which wood 

 is needed nowadays, such as cotton reels, packing-boxes, toys, domestic 

 utensils, etc. it is propagated very readily from cuttings not less than i ft. 

 long, put in the open ground after the leaves have fallen. 



Var. AUREA, Henry (P. canadensis var. aurea, Van Geerf). A form with 

 leaves very yellow in spring and early summer, becoming yellowish green 

 later. It originated in the nursery of Van Geert at Ghent, in 1871, as a sport. 



Var. ERECTA, Henry (P. monilifera var. erecta, Selys; P. canadensis var. 

 erecta, Dippel}. A columnar or semi-fastigiate tree, resembling in other 

 respects P. serotina, being also a male. It originated in Belgium about 1820. 



P. REGENERATA, Hort. (P. grandifolia, and the peuplier regenere of the 

 French), is another hybrid 'of the black poplar group, probably between nigra 

 and monilifera. It originated in a nursery near Paris, in 1814, and is a 

 female tree with the shoots and foliage of P. serotina. The catkins are about 

 3 ins. long, lengthening out by June to 6 or 8 his. ; stigmas usually two. 

 Leaves often broader than long, triangular, with short points and a straight 

 cut base. It is sold in nurseries as "P. canadensis var. grandis." 



P. SlMONI, Carriere. 



A medium-sized tree with pendulous branches and elegant habit, bursting 

 into leaf early ; young shoots smooth, prominently angled. Leaves diamond- 

 shaped or obovate, tapering about equally to both ends, sometimes more 

 abruptly towards the apex ; minutely and regularly blunt-toothed ; 2 to 5 ins. 

 long, i to 3^ ins. wide ; dark green above, very pale beneath ; smooth on 

 both sides ; sfalk often very short, even on the leaves of vigorous shoots, and 

 only \ to \ in. long. 



Native of N. China ; introduced to the Simon-Louis nursery at Metz in 

 1862. As represented at Kew it is one of the balsam group breaking into 

 leaf early, and fragrant then. Its distinguishing characters are its angular 

 young shoots devoid of down, and the variable but often very short leaf-stalk. 

 The original tree at Plantieres, near Metz, has a trunk white almost as a birch. 



P. SUAVEOLENS, Fischer. 



One of the balsam poplars with a balsamic odour, especially noticeable 

 when the young leaves are developing. It has smooth, ovate, or ovate- 

 lanceolate leaves, rounded or broadly tapered at the base, \\ to 3^ ins. long, 

 two-thirds as wide, finely and bluntly toothed ; margins and leaf-stalk downy. 

 Young shoots round, slightly downy. A tree up to 50 ft. high. 



Native of Siberia, Manchuria, etc. It was mentioned by Loudon in 1838 



