SALICACEAE 



Cottonwood 



Populus deltoides, Marsh. [Populus monilifera, Ait.] 



HABIT. A stately tree attaining a height of 70-90 feet and 

 a trunk diameter of 3-5 feet; forming a spreading, open, sym- 

 metrical crown of massive, horizontal branches and stout, more 

 or less angled branchlets. 



LEAVES. 'Alternate, simple, 3-6 inches long, nearly as 

 broad ; broadly deltoid-ovate ; coarsely crenate-serrate above the 

 entire base; thick and firm; lustrous, dark green above, paler 

 beneath ; petioles 2-3 inches long, slender, compressed laterally. 



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

 staminate in short-stalked, densely-flowered catkins 3-4 inches 

 long; the pistillate in short-stalked, few-flowered catkins elongat- 

 ing to 6-8 inches; calyx o; corolla o; stamens very numerous, with 

 red anthers ; stigmas 3-4, spreading. 



FRUIT. May; 2-4-valved, short-stalked capsules, borne in 

 drooping catkins 5-10 inches long; seeds light brown, densely 

 cottony. 



WINTER-BUDS. Terminal bud y* inch long, conical, acute, 

 very resinous, shining, brownish. 



BARK. Twigs and young stems smooth, yellow-green; old 

 trunks ashy gray, deeply divided into straight furrows with 

 broad, rounded ridges. 



WOOD. Light, soft, weak, close-grained, dark brown, with 

 thick, whitish sapwood, warps badly and is difficult to season. 



DISTRIBUTION. Entire Michigan; rare in the northern 

 portions. 



HABITAT. Prefers rich, moist soil; river-banks ; river- 

 bottoms; lake-shores; grows well in drier situations. 



NOTES. Rapid of growtih, consequently an excellent tree 

 for immediate effect. Propagated from cuttings. 



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