Trees of 'New York State 137 



SALICACEAE 



Populiis caiulicaiis Ait. | INijmlus lialsaiiiifera, var. candicans (Ait.) Gray] 



Balm of Gilead 



Habit — A tree at maturity HO-SO feet lii;;'li with a trunk diatnoter of 2-4 

 feet, occasionally TOO feet tall. Cruwn ratlicr hroad, ii it'j^ular ami open, 

 consistinfj of stout, sparse, spreading, somewhat dro()|)iiio- limbs. A short- 

 lived tree propagating readily by suckers. 



Leaves — Alternate, borne on long, slender, pubescent terete petioles, broadly 

 ovate, acuminate at the apex, cordate or truncate at the base, coarsely 

 crenate-serrate and ciliate on the margin, 3-(i inches long, 1*4-4 inches 

 \vide, at nuiturity tliin l)ut firm in texture, dark green and lustrous above, 

 paler and hairy on tlie veins beneath. Stipules oblong, lanceolate, ciliate, 

 about % of an inch long, tardily fugacious. 



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

 flower-buds, dioecious, borne in the axils of light bro\\ni, obovate, bairy^, 

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

 aments 2i/^-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 lobed 

 ovary, and 2 large, sessile stigmas. 



Fruit — A narrowly ovoid, pale browai, thin-Avalled, pedunculate capsule, acute 

 and often curved at the apex, i/4-% of an inch long. The capsules are 

 borne rather loosely in pedunculate, stout-stalked, naked aments 4-G 

 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, reddish brown, 

 at length dull yellowish or greenish gray. Flower- and leaf -buds distinct. 

 Leaf-buds narrowly ovate, acuminate, somewhat divergent, dark red, 

 water-proofed with a very fragrant, amber-colored resin which exhales a 

 pleasing odor as the buds unfold in the spring, i/l>-l inch long. Flower- 

 buds similar, usually broadly ovate. Mature bark dark gray, thick, with 

 narrow fissures and broad, scaly ridges. 



Habitat — In deep, moist soil about dwellings and dooryards. 



Eange — Imperfectly known. "Widely jilanted in Xorth America from New- 

 foundland to Alaska, south to Virginia and Missouri. Said to have come 

 originall}' front the state of Michigan but now occurring as an ' ' escape ' ' 

 about the dwellings of man. 



Uses — A fast-growing species planted ornamentally about dwellings but not 

 to be recommended because of its short life and unsightly appearance in 

 age. Suckers from these trees are a nuisance about dooryards. Woof] 

 similar to that of Balsam Poplar and occasionally used for the same 

 purposes. 



