32 THE WOODLANDS. 



tree, which may be known at a considerable distance 

 by the whiteness of its foliage. The leaves are rather 

 triangular, with irregular lobes and teeth, a difficult 

 form of leaf to describe in writing within a few words. 

 The under-side of the leaves is covered with a densy 

 coating of matted white down. Like the black pop- 

 lar, this tree loves a damp situation, where it grows 

 xapidly, but is seldom seen of any great size. 



LEAVES OF WHITE POPLAR. 



It is generally supposed not to have been a native 

 of Britain, but was introduced from Flanders. In a 

 work published in 1659 ^ * s stated that ten thousand 

 abeles were at once sent over to England from Flanders, 

 and transplanted into many counties. Evelyn men- 

 tions the " abeel " as " of late much transported out 

 of Holland." This tree was known to the Romans 

 and Greeks, and was consecrated to Hercules. It is 



