1498 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



pressed, straight or turned up at their sharp points ; and in winter, together with the 

 concealed buds and the stout glabrous angled twigs, serve to identify this species. 



The flowers are fragrant,^ and are visited by bees, as they contain much honey. 

 In southern Italy,^ the flowers are developed before the leaves; but north of the 

 Alps the leaves unfold earlier or at the same time as the flowers. The leaves droop 

 at night. 



Seedling:^ — The cotyledons, raised above ground on a glabrous caulicle, are 

 oblong-oval, obtuse, entire, shortly stalked, light green, thick in texture, obscurely 

 veined, and about ^ in. long. The slightly pubescent stem bears alternate leaves ; 

 first leaf always unifoliolate, rounded, obtuse, and broader than long ; second leaf 

 with three leaflets, the terminal orbicular one larger than the two lateral elliptic 

 leaflets ; succeeding leaves with three to five leaflets. 



This species produces numerous root-suckers,* arising singly or in groups of 

 two or three at a considerable distance from the tree. Leaves on root-suckers 

 smaller than on adult trees, but with the usual number of leaflets, which are cordate 

 at the base ; stipules usually aborted or very short. 



The tree, when cut down, produces coppice shoots freely ; and on this account, 

 and because of its facility of reproduction from root-suckers, it is much cultivated 

 in the warmer parts of Europe as coppice with a short rotation. 



Varieties 



A large number of varieties have arisen in cultivation in Europe. Some have 

 been successfully raised from cuttings ; but they are usually propagated by grafting. 



I. Leaves as in the type ; habit peculiar. 



1. Var. pyramidalis, Pepin, in Rev. Hort. iv. 240 (1845) (van fastigiata, 

 Nicholson). 



Narrowly pyramidal, resembling the Lombardy Poplar in shape; branches 

 directed vertically upwards. This was introduced by M. Leroy of Angers, and a 

 fine specimen in the Jardin des Plantes at Paris was planted by P^pin in 1843. 

 The best example of this we know is in the public gardens at Le Mans, in France, 

 where Elwes measured one in 1908 nearly 60 ft. high. There are four specimens in 

 the public garden at Genoa, one about 40 ft. in height, which are more broadly 

 pyramidal in habit, the branches not being so upright. These correspond to the 

 description of var. stricta. Link, ex Loudon, Art. et Frut. Brit. ii. 610 (1838). Both 

 these varieties are suitable for planting in streets ; but seem to be scarcely known 

 m England, except at Kew, where there is a good example oi vzx. pyramidalis about 

 35 ft. high. 



2. Var. Ulriciana, Reuter, ex Dippel, Laubholzkunde, iii. 702 (1893). Branches 

 pendulous. 



* Cf. Mesnard, in Ann. Sc. Nat. xviii. 341 (1893). 

 ^ Kerner, Nat. Hist. Plants, Eng. Transl. i. 562 (1898). 

 (A. Lubbock, Seedlings, i. 422, fig. 275 (1892), and Ledoux, in Ann. Sc. Nat. xviii. 369. fig. 39 (1903). 

 ^ Cf. Dubard, in Ann. Sc. Nat. xvii. 167 (1903). 



