826 



ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETU.Al BRITANNICUM. 



acladesca Lindl. in Enc. of Plants, p. 840.; ? P. maryUtndica Bosc Nouv. Cours. art. Pouplier, 



p. 409.; Virginian Poplar, Swiss Poplar, Canadian or Berr5'-bearing Poplar, Mill.; Peuplier 



Suisse, Peuplier tripliilon (see Nouv. Cours), Peuplier de Virginie, Bumont. 

 Derivation. The epithet necklace-bearing alludes to the shape of the female catkins, which, in their 



capsules, and the manner in which these are attached to the rachis, resemble strings of beads. 



Swiss poplar, and black. Italian poplar, allude to the tree being very abundant in Switzerland and 



the north of Italy. 

 The Sexes. Both sexes are frequent in British collections, but the male is most abundant. The 



female is figured and described by Watson (see Dend. Brit., 1. 102.), who has figured some parts 



of the male flower in the same plate. Both male and female are abundant in French gardens ; 



the male is known bv the petioles of the leaves being red, while those of the female are white. 

 Engravings. Michx. Arb., t.lO. f.2.; N. Amer. Syl., 2. t.9G. f. 2.; Wats. Dend. Brit., 2. 1. 102.; 



the plates of this tree in Arb. Brit. 1st edit., vol. vii.; and our fig. 1502. 



Spec. Char., Sfc. Shoot more or less angular. Branch round. Petiole 

 slender, compressed in the upper part ; in some leaves, shorter than the 

 disk, in others longer. Disk deltoid, glanded at the base, which is sub- 

 cordate in some leaves, and very obtusely wedge-shaped in others ; tip 

 acute ; edge serrated all round, except in the central part of the base, and 

 at the acute tip ; the teeth have incurved points ; glabrous except in the 

 edge, which, at least when the leaf is growing, is ciliate ; edge ultimately 

 and perhaps early, gristly. Male flowers about 30 in a catkin, upon pe- 

 dicels. Bractea glabrous. Stamens 16, a httle longer than the corolla. 

 Female flowers about 40 in a catkin. Stigmas 4, dilated, jagged. It is 

 rather doubtful to what country this poplar is indigenous : Canada is given 

 as its native country in the Hortus Kewejish ; but in the Nouveau du Hamel 

 it is stated to be a native of Virginia. Michaux, jun., states that neither he 

 nor his father ever found it wild in America ; and Pursh adds that he has 

 only seen it in that country in gardens. According to the Hortus Kew- 

 ensis, it was introduced into Britain by Dr. John Hope, in 1772. It is 

 a tree, according to Pursh, from 60 ft. to 70 ft. high in America ; but in 

 Britain it grows to the height of 100 or 120 ft., or upwards ; flowering in 

 March, and ripening its seeds about the middle of May. Decaying leaves 

 greenish yellow, or rich yellow. 



Voieties. 



2 P. (h.) VI. 2 Lindlei/iina, Booth. The new waved-leaved Poplar, Hort. 



Leaves rather larger than in the species, and they are somewhat 



more undulated. H. S. 

 If P. (n.) VI. Sfo/iis variegdtu Hort. Leaves variegated; conspicuous in 



early spring, but afterwards unsightl}'. 



P. raonilifera is the most rapid-growing of 

 all the poplars ; and its timber is equal, if not 

 superior, in quality to that of any other 

 species. It comes into leaf, in the climate oi'" 

 London, in the last week of April, or in the 

 beginning of May, long after the P. fastigiata, 

 but about the same time as P. nigra, of which 

 we believe it to be only a variety, about which 

 time the male catkins have chiefly dropped off. 

 The cottony seed of the female is ripe about the 

 middle of May, and is so abundant, even in 

 young trees, as to cover the ground under them 

 like a fall of snow. The rate of growth, in the 

 climate of London, on good soil, is between 

 30 ft. and 40 it. in 7 years ; even in Scotland 

 it has attained the height of 70 ft. in 16 

 years. The wood may be applied to the 

 same purposes as that of the species pre- 

 viously described ; but, being of larger dimen- 

 sions, it may be considered as better fitted for being used in buildings. Pon- 

 tey observes that the tree is not only an astonishinglj' quick grower, but that 

 its stem is remarkably straight ; and that, with very trifling attention to side 

 pruning, it may be kept clear of branches to any required height. For these 



1502. P. (n.) monilifeni. 



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