Trees of New York State 221 



MAGNOLIACEAE 



Lii'iotU'iulroii tulipifera L. 



Yellow Poplar, Tulip Tree 



Habit — One of tlie largest trees of tlie eastern states, in the soutli conuuonlv 

 150 feet in height with a straight trunk .j-6 feet through* and free of 

 branches for (30-80 feet, in New "i'ork State usually 50-80 feet tall with 

 a trunk diameter of 2-3 feet. In the open the crown is narrowly pyra- 

 midal or oblong, the branches extending to within 8-10 feet of the 

 ground. Trees in the forest have flat, wide-spreading crowns borne aloft 

 on tall, straight, naked trunks. 



Leaves — Alternate, broadly ovate to orbicular, 5-6 inches long and broad, 

 truncate or broadly notched at the apex, rounded or slightly cuneate at 

 the base, sinuately 4-lobed, at maturity dark green, smooth and lustrous 

 above, dull green and jialer below, borne on slender angled petioles 5-6 

 inches long. 



Flowers- — -Appearing during May and June after the leaves, terminal, soli- 

 tary, greenish yellow with orange markings, cup-shaped, 2-5 inches wide, 

 I-IY2 inches deep, perfect. Sepals 3, ovate-lanceolate, greenish white, 

 at length reflexed and early deciduous. Petals 6, broadly ovate, rounded, 

 erect, light green marked with orange at the base, deciduous. Stamens 

 numerous, inserted in many ranks on the base of the toi'us, with filiform 

 filaments and linear yellow anthers, deciduous after anthesis. Pistils 

 . densely imbricated on the elongated receptacle, each consisting of a 



I 1-celled ovary surmounted by an acuminate and laterally compressed style 



and short recurved stigma. 



Fruit — A light bro■^\^l cone, 2-3 inches long, composed of many closely 

 ti^ imbricated, indehiscent cai-jjels (samaroids). Carpels dry, woody, con- 



sisting of a laterally compressed, 4-ribbed pericarp and large, persistent, 

 i A\'inged style, falling during the autumn and winter from the persistent, 



f upright cone-axis. Seed solitary by abortion. 



Winter characters — Twigs rather stout, smooth, lustrous, somewhat glau- 

 cous, reddish bro\\^l. at length dark gray. Pith diaphragmed-stufCed. 

 Terminal bud oblong, compressed, obtuse, dark red, glaucous and white- 

 punctate, %-l inch long, the scales stipular and valvate in pairs. Lateral 

 buds similar, divergent, sometimes superposed or terminal on short spurs. 

 ■Vs-^4 of an inch long. Mature bark thick, brown, with long shallow 

 furrows and rounded ridges. 



p Habitat — Prefers deep moist soil in admixture with other species. Occurs 

 r along streams, on bottom-lands, and on moist mountain slopes. 



\ Kange — ^ Rhode Island and southwestern Vermont westward through Ontario 

 ! to Wisconsin, south to Florida and Arkansas. Zones A, B and C. 



■' Uses — A valuable timber species producing the Yellow Poplar or White- 

 wood of commerce. Wood light, soft, brittle, weak, straight-grained, 

 pale greenish yellow or bro\\Ti with thin, nearly white sapwood. Largely 

 manufactured into lumber and used where a soft, easily-worked wood is 

 required. The tree is widely cultivated in the east and abroad for its 

 ornamental value. 



* Trees are known which have reached a height of 200 feet with a trunk diameter 

 of 8-10 feet. 



