SALICACEAE 

 Balm of Gilead. Balsam 



Populus balsamifera L. 



HABIT. A tree 60-75 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 

 1-3 feet; forming a rather narrow, open, pyramidal crown of 

 few, slender, horizontal branches. 



LEAVES. Alternate, simple, 3-6 inches long, about one- 

 half as broad; ovate to ovate-lanceolate; finely crenate-serrate ; 

 thin and firm; lustrous, dark green above, paler beneath; petioles 

 \ l /2 inches long, slender, terete, smooth. 



FLOWERS. April, before the leaves; dioecious; the stam- 

 inate in long-stalked catkins 3-4 inches long; the pistillate in 

 loose-flowered, long-stalked catkins 4-5 inches long; calyx o; 

 corolla o; stamens 20-30, with bright red anthers; ovary short- 

 stalked; stigmas 2, wavy-margined. 



FRUIT. May-June ; 2-valved, ovoid, short-pedicelled cap- 

 sules l /^ inch long, borne in drooping catkins 4-6 inches long; 

 seeds light brown, hairy. 



WINTER-BUDS. Terminal bud about I inch long, ovoid, 

 long-pointed, brownish, resin-coated, sticky, fragrant. 



BARK. Twigs red-brown, becoming dark orange, finally 

 green-gray; thick, grayish on old trunks, and shallowly fissured 

 into broad, rounded ridges, often roughened by dark excrescences. 



WOOD. Light, soft, weak, close-grained, light red-brown, 

 with thick, nearly white sapwood. 



DISTRIBUTION. Occurs throughout the entire state, but 

 is more abundant and of greater size in the northern portions. 



HABITAT. Prefers river bottom-lands and borders of 

 swamps. 



NOTES. Rapid in growth. Spreads from the roots. Most 

 useful for shelter-belts. Easily transplanted. Propagated from 

 cuttings. 



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