THE POPLARS 



327 



^: 



The bark is greenish grey and smooth 

 at tirst, but roughens as the tree at- 

 tains maturity. The twigs are pohshed, 

 rounded, yellowish brown in colour. The 

 resting buds, arranged spirally on the 

 twigs and pressed, 

 more or less, close 

 up to them, are 

 pointed, glossy and 

 sticky. Their colour 

 is chestnut - brown. 

 The flower buds are 

 larger and stouter. 

 The leaf-scar of the 

 Aspen, and of the 

 Poplars generally, is 

 usually described as 

 semi-lunar, but it is 

 subject to much vari 

 ation. It has three 

 leaf- traces. The 

 leaves are of thin 

 and firm texture, 

 smooth, rounded in 

 shape, with numer- 

 ous blunt or in- 

 curved teeth. The 

 under surface of 

 them is hghter in 

 colour, sometimes 

 greyish. The stalks 

 are long, and are 

 flattened sideways, 

 acting like a piece 

 of tempered watch- 

 spring, maintaining 

 the tremulous mo- 

 tion, and distinctive 

 pendulum-like side- 

 swing, of the leaves. 

 On the suckers 

 w h i c h spring up 

 plentifully from the 

 s h a 1 1 o w, spreading 

 root system, the 

 leaves are more tri- 

 angular in shape, are without marginal 

 teeth, and have shorter stalks. As is 

 characteristic of all the Poplars, a single 

 mid,-rib passes from the stalk direct to 

 the apex, with branching side-ribs, the 

 lowermost pair of which start immetli- 

 ately from the base as strong secondaries 

 in support of the lower leaf extension 

 The catkins of pollen-bearing^ and fruit- 

 producing flowers are thickly covered 



hairs, rendering them dislinctly 



with 

 furry. 



THE WHITE POPL.\R, OR ABELE 



This tree can also claim to be native 

 with us. It has usuallv a denser crown 



■ivi'r 



WHITE POPLAR IN EAKLV Sl'KlNG. 

 Covered with poUen-bearina catkins. 



tlian other Pojilars, its long l)ranches 

 being more fully furnished with lesser 

 branchings, twigs and foliage. It endures 

 shade better, so may be oftener met with 

 among the trees of the more open parts 

 of the woods. Its leaves are much less 

 mo]>ile than those of the Aspen, and 

 without their side-swing. In the wind 

 tliey are flung upwards, exposing their 

 white under-surface, giving to tiie tree 



