Trees of Neiv York State 127 



SALICACEAE 



Populus alba L. 



White Poplar, Silver-leaved Poplar, Abele 



Habit — A large tree, sometimes attaining a height of 80-100 feet with a 

 trunk diameter of 2-4 feet, usually 40-70 feet tall. Crown irregular, open, 

 broad and round-topped. Bole massive, breaking up 10-20 feet above the 

 ground into stout, ascending limbs and arching, somewhat pendant twigs. 

 Propagates naturally by suckers. 



Leaves- — -Alternate, borne on long, slender, white-tomentosc or nearly gla- 

 brate, terete petioles, in the type form suborbicular to broadly ovate, 

 obtuse or acute at the apex, truncate or cordate at the base, irregularly 

 sinuate-dentate, 2-4 inches long, at maturity firm, dark green, smooth, 

 and somewhat lustrous above, white-tomentose or pale-glabrate below. 

 The variety Popuhis alhc, var. nivea Wesm. Avith palmately 3-5-lobed 

 leaves which are white velvety-tomentose below, is a common * ' escape ' ' in 

 this country. 



Flowers — Appearing before the leaves from separate flower-buds, dioecious, 

 borne in the axils of obovate, dentate, hairy scales, the whole forming 

 pendulous, densely flowered, hairy, cylindrical aments 2-3 inches long. 

 Perianth wanting. Stamens 6-10, with short slender filaments and pale 

 purple anthers, inserted on the oblique, cup-shaped disk. Pistil solitary, 

 enclosed at the base by the closely appressed disk, consisting of an ovoid 

 ovary and 2 nearly sessile, 2-lobed, yellow stigmas. 



Fruit — An ovoid-oblong, canescent, short pedicellate capsule, about 3/16 of an 

 inch long. The capsules are borne in naked, pendant, rather stout- 

 stemmed aments 2-2% inches long, mature in late May or June, and open 

 by 2 valves to set free the minute, Avhite-comose seeds. 



Winter characters — T^vigs rather stout, lenticellate, purplish or olive-brown, 

 white-tomentose, becoming smooth and gray the second season. Flower- 

 and leaf -buds distinct. Leaf -buds ovate-oblong, acute, white-downy, V5~"'/4 

 of an inch long. Flower-buds ovoid, blunter and more divergent. Bark on 

 young treees or large limbs grayish or greenish white, smooth or roughened 

 by brownish warty excrescences. Mature bark brownish black. Deeply 

 fissured, with rough, irregular ridges. 



Habitat — ^A rapidly growing tree thriving best in deep, moist, alluvial soils 

 where a constant supply of moisture is assured. 



Range — Native of southern Europe, Asia and northern Africa. Long culti- 

 vated as an ornamental and shade tree about dooryards and estates, 

 spreading readily, chiefly through its stoloniferous roots. Zones A, B, 

 and C. 



Uses — Valuable chiefly as an ornamental tree because of its showy leaves. 

 Wood light, soft, weak, close-grained, pale reddish yellow with nearly 

 white sapwood. Occasionally used for light fuel in this country, and 

 abroad for packing cases and flooring. 



