Trees of New Yor!: Slate 135 



SALICACEAE 



l*(il>uliis l):il.s;miit'c'r;i, Tj. 



Balsam Poplar, Tacamahac 



Habit — A tree attaining a height of <)()-70 feet witii a trunk diameter of l-o 

 feet, under optimum conditions in the forest sometimes 100 feet tall. 

 Crown rather narrow, irregular, open, bluntly pyramidal in exposed trees, 

 consisting of stout, sparse, erect branches Avhich are bushy at the ends. 

 Propagates by root suckers. 



Leaves — • Alternate, borne on long, slender, smooth, terete petioles, ovate to 

 ovatedaiiceolate, acuminate at the apex, rounded or cordate at the base, 

 finely crenate-serrate, 3-6 inches long, l'/l>-3 inches wide, at maturity thiu 

 but firm in texture, dark green and lustrous above, paler and somewhat 

 rusty, and reticulate-veined below. Stipules oblong- lanceolate, ciliate, 

 about % of an inch long, t;irdily fugacious. 



Flowers — Appearing in April and May before the leaves from separate 

 tlower-buds, dioecious, borne in the axils of light brow^l, obovate, hairy, 

 laciniate scales, the whole forming pendulous, densely flowered, hairy, 

 cylindrical aments, 2Vl!-4 inches long. Perianth wanting. Stamens 20- 

 30, with short, slender filaments and light red anthers, inserted on an 

 oblique, short-stalked, shallow disk. Pistil solitary, enclosed at the base 

 by the cup-shaped, slightly lobed disk, consisting of an ovoid, slightly 

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



Fruit — An ovoid-oblong, light brown, thin- walled, pedunculate capsule, acute 

 and often curved at the apex, about V4 of an inch long. The capsules are 

 borne rather closely in pedunculate, stout-stalked, naked aments 4-.5 inches 

 long and open by 2 opposite sutures in late May or June to set free the 

 minute, pale brown, -white-comose seeds. 



Winter characters — Twigs stout, lenticellate, smooth, lustrous, bright red- 

 dish brown, at length dull orange and finally yellowish or greenish gray. 

 Flower- and leaf-buds distinct. Leaf-buds ovate, acuminate, usually 

 divergent, dark red, water-proofed with a fragrant, amber-colored resin 

 which exhales a pleasing odor as the buds unfold in the spring, %-l inch 

 long. Flower-buds similar but somewhat broader. Bark on young trunks 

 and limbs smooth, light reddisli brown. Mature bark dark gray tinged 

 with red, thick, with narrow fissures and broad scaly ridges. 



Habitat — ^ Prefers alluvial soils in the bottom-lands of river valleys, along 

 banks of streams and lake shores, borders of swamps, etc. A moisture- 

 lo\ing species, occasionally growing in drier situations. 



Kange — A transcontinental species widely spread throughout Canada, from 

 Labrador to Alaska, south into northern New England, New York, Michi- 

 gan, Wisconsin, INIinnesota, Nebraska, Montana, Nevada and Oregon. 

 Zones C and D. 



Uses — Wood light, soft, weak, close-grained, pale brown with thick, nearly 

 white sapwood. Intermixed with that of other species in the manufacture 

 of pulp. Occasionally nuaiufactured into small wooden containers such as 

 pails and boxes. 



