SALICACEAE 
Cottonwood 
Populus deltoides Marsh. [Populus monilifera Ait.] 
‘HABIT.—A stately tree attaining a height of 70-90 feet and 
a trunk diameter of 3-5 feet; forming a spreading, open, sym- 
metrical crown of massive, horizontal branches and stout, more 
or less angled branchlets. 
LEAVES.—Alternate, simple, 3-6 inches long, nearly as 
broad; broadly deltoid-ovate; coarsely crenate-serrate above the 
entire base; thick and firm; lustrous, dark green above, paler 
beneath; petioles 2-3 inches long, slender, compressed laterally. 
FLOWERS.—April-May, before the leaves; dioecious; the 
staminate in short-stalked, densely-flowered catkins 3-4 inches 
long; the pistillate in short-stalked, few-flowered catkins elongat- 
ing to 6-8 inches; calyx 0; corolla 0; stamens very numerous, with 
red anthers; stigmas 3-4, spreading. 
FRUIT.—May; 2-4-valved, short-stalked capsules, borne in 
drooping catkins 5-10 inches long; seeds light brown, densely 
- cottony. 
WINTER-BUDS.—Terminal bud % inch long, conical, acute, 
very resinous, shining, brownish. 
BARK.—Twigs and young stems smooth, yellow-green; old 
trunks ashy gray, deeply divided into straight furrows with 
broad, rounded ridges. 
WOOD.—Light, soft, weak, close-grained, dark brown, with 
thick, whitish sapwood; warps badly and is difficult to season. 
DISTRIBUTION.—Entire Michigan; rare in the northern 
portions. 
HABITAT—Prefers rich, moist soil; river-banks; river- 
bottoms; lake-shores; grows well in drier situations. 
NOTES.—Rapid of growth, consequently an excellent tree 
for immediate effect. Propagated from cuttings. 
5p Ss 
