THE POPLAR. 173 



Genus Populus, Tournf. Linn. Syd. Dicecia 



Odandria. 



THE POPLAR. 



The Poplars are mostly trees of very large size, growing 

 with extraordinary rapidity, and equalling if not surpass- 

 ing in that respect the large timber-sized willows already 

 described. They are natives of Europe, parts of Asia, 

 the west of Africa, and North America. Their wood is 

 light, of a white or pale yellowish colour, very durable 

 when kept dry, not liable to warp or twist when sawn 

 up, and, from its elasticity, yields without splitting or 

 cracking when struck with violence ; that of some species 

 is also very slow in taking fire, and when it is ignited 

 burns in a smouldering manner, without flame, on which 

 account it is valuable and extensively used for the flooring 

 of manufactories and other buildings. The catkins of the 

 male plants of most species are large and very ornamental, 

 the anthers being of a rich purplish red colour ; they are 

 produced early in spring and before the bursting forth 

 of the leaves. The seed produced by the females is enve- 

 loped in a fine cottony substance, which has sometimes 

 been manufactured into paper and cloth. 



The well-known tremulous motion of the leaves pro- 

 ceeds, in the Pop. tremula (Aspen), chiefly from the flatten- 

 ing of the footstalk, in other Poplars, from the great length 

 and slenderness of this part in proportion to the weight 

 of the attached leaves, so that they are acted upon and put 



