50 



for planting overflow lands, and for planting -where a quick shade is 

 desired or for temporary windbreaks. 



The leaves of this tree are quite variable and several forms have 

 been described. The Carolina poplar of nurserymen has an upright 

 habit of growth and was formerly much planted as a shade tree. Its 

 undesirable qualities have condemned it, and most cities now prohibit 

 its planting. 



Cottonwood has many uses, and was formerly a very important 

 timber tree, but the supply has so diminished that large trees have 

 l)ecome quite scarce. The thick bark was much used l)y the boys of 

 the pioneers for whittling out toj'S, etc. 



4. Po]>ulus grandidentata Michaux. Large-toothed Aspen. 

 Plate 18. A small or medium-sized tree, 1-4 dm. in diameter; Ijark 

 smooth, graj'ish-green or whitish, becoming furrowed and darkbrown on 

 the trunks of old trees that grow in the northern part of the State, 

 especially when growing in a swampy habitat. In the southern part of the 

 State where the tree usually grows on the top of hills, the bark does not 

 darken so much , frequently remaining a light to dark gray until maturity. 

 Shoots more or less woolly at first, becoming glabrous, reddish-brown; 

 leaves on sprouts and very young trees verj' velvety beneath, slightlj^ 

 haii-y aljove, ovate in outline, cordate at base and with blades up to 20 

 cm. in length; l(>aves on older trees a yellow green, glabrous, ovate, 

 blades usuallj' 6-10 cm. long, coarsely and unevenly toothed, the base 

 slightly rounded, rarely truncate or slightly cordate, the apex pointed 

 or roimded; petioles strongly fiattc^ned laterally; stamens 6-12; capsule 

 about .5 mm. long on a stalk about 1 mm. long; wood soft, light and not 

 strong. 



Distribution. — Nova Scotia west to northern Minnesota and south 

 to the Ohio River, and along the Alleghan.y Mountains to South Caro- 

 lina. Found throughout Indiana, except we have no authentic records 

 for Gibson' and Posey- Counties. In the northern part of Indiana it is 

 found in great colonies about lakes, etc. or rarely a few trees on the 

 crests of gravel and sand ridg(\s. In southern Indiana it is found in the 

 "knob" area in small colonies on the tops of the ridges associated with 

 scrub pine and chestnut oak and is rarely founrl in low ground in this 

 part of the State. 



Remarks. — This species is too rare to be of much economic im- 

 portance. It could be most profitably used for excelsior and pulp wood. 



] Coulter's record for Cjib.son County by SchnecK is regarded as an error because 

 SfhnpcK himself does not report it, and there was no specimen in the Schneck herbarium. 



jDeam's record in Rept. Ind. St. Board Forestry 1911 ;124:1912 was a manuscript 

 error. 



