Handbook of Trees of tiik Northern States and Ca 



99 



The Lance-leaf Cottonwood is the least 

 abundant representative of the genus within the 

 I'nited States. It is a tree of medium stature, 

 rarely if ever surpassing 50 or 60 ft. in height 

 or 2 or 3 ft. in thickness of trunk, with rounded 

 or pyramidal top of stout spreading branches. 

 The bark of branches and upper trunk is of a 

 pale gra\i.sh brown color tissureil into narrow 

 Hat ridges. Like tlie Narrow-leaf Cottonwood, 

 with which this tree was confounded until 

 recently separated by Mr. Rydberg. tlie bark of 

 branches and upper trunk is very smooth and 

 of a pale ash-<jiay color, Imt that of the branch- 

 lets differs in l)eing of a light greenish brown 

 color, rather than orange-brown, and its buds 

 are larger, more resin-coated and more curved, 

 Tt is confined in its distribution, as far as now 

 known, to the !)anks of streams along the 

 eastern dry foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains 

 from Assiniboia to New Mexico. It is occasion- 

 ally planted as a shade-tree in cities and vil- 

 lages of Colorado and Wyoming. 



The wood is light, soft, not strong and suit- 

 able for the uses to which the common Cotton- 

 wood is applied. 



Lraves rhombic-lanceolate, 2-.^> in. long, cnncate 

 or rarely rounded at base, aciiminatp, coarsely 

 crenate-serrate excepting at base and apex which 

 aro mostly entire, lustrous dark green above, dull 

 green beneath ; petioles slender, terete, l-.S in. 

 long. Flowers rather open loose aments ; stami- 

 nate IV^--^ in. long; disk of flower obli(|ue saucei- 

 shaped with numerous stamens : pistillate aments 

 becoming .3-4 in. long, drooping : disk cup-siiaped ; 

 stigma laciniate-ldhcd. Fruit in rather 1oo<p 

 drooping aments with dhlcing ovoid distinctly 

 pediceled and usually .'i-valved capsules. 



