159 



In the northeastern United States and in Canada a form of this tree, var. candi- 

 cans, Gray, Balm of Gilead, is frequently cultivated as a shade-tree and has some- 

 times escaped and become spontaneous. It differs from the common form in its 

 more spreading Ranches, forming a broader and more open head, in its broader 

 cordate coarsely serrate leaves, with gland-tipped^teeth, more or less pubescent 

 when young and {tfwiaturity paler on the lower s^^r, ciliate on the margins, with 

 short white hairs and usually pubescent along the principal veins, and in its pubes- 

 cent petioles and rather heavier wood; of uncertain origin, probably not indigenous 

 in New England or eastern Canada. , %f 



5. Populus angustifolia, James. Narrow-I^^pd Cottonwood. 

 Leaves lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate or rarely obovate^ narrowed to the tapering 

 acute or rounded -apex, gradually narrowed and wedge-shaped or rounded at the 

 base, finely or on vigorous shoots coarsely serrate, thin and firm, bright yellow-green 

 above, glabrous or rarely puberulous and paler below, 2'-3' long, '-!' wide, or on 

 vigorous shoots occasionally G'-T long, and !' wide, with stout yellow midribs 

 and numerous slender oblique primary veins arcuate and often united near the 



slightly thickened revolute margins; their peiioles slender, somewhat flattened on 

 the upper side, and in falling leaving small nearly oval obcordate scars. Flowers: 

 aments densely flowered, glabrous, short-stalked, l'-2^' long, the pistillate becoming 

 2^'^t' long before the fruit ripens, their scales broadly obovate, glabrous, thin, sca- 

 rious, light brown, deeply and irregularly cut into numerous dark red-brown fili- 

 form lobes; disk of the staminate flower cup-shaped, slightly oblique, short-stalked; 

 stamens 12-20, with short filaments and lasge light red anthers; disk of the pistil- 

 late flower shallow, cup-shaped, slightly < ^and > irregularly lobed, short-stalked; ovary 

 ovate, more or less 2-lobed, with a short or elongated style and 2 oblique dilated 

 irregularly lobed stigmas. Fruit broadly*<ftratle, often rather abruptly contracted 

 above the middle, short-pointed, thin-walled, 2-ralved, on stems often ^' long; seeds 

 ovate or obovate, rather obtuse, light brownfliearly |' long. 



A tree, 50-60 high, with a trunk rarely more than 18' in diameter, slender 

 erect branches forming a narrow and usually pyramidal head, and slender glabrous 

 or rarely puberulous branchlets marked by pale lenticels, at first light yellow- 

 green, becoming bright or dark orange-colored during their first winter, pale yellow 



