48 



Common Trees 



COTTONWOOD 



Populus deltoides, Marshall 



THE COTTONWOOD, also called Carolina Poplar, has been 

 extensively planted along streets, in parks and on home 

 grounds in New York. 



The leaves are simple, alternate, broadly triangular, square 

 at base, 3 to 5 inches long, with long and laterally flattened 

 leaf-stalks. 



The flowers ap- 

 pear before the leaves. 

 Pollen - bearing and 

 seed-producing occur 

 on different trees. 

 Both are arranged in 

 drooping tassels. 



The fruit is a 3 to 

 4 - valved capsule ar- 

 ranged in drooping 

 tassels and containing 

 numerous small seeds 

 with tufts of fine 

 hairs. 



The bark on 

 young trunks is 

 smooth and greenish- 

 yellow ; on old trunks 

 becomes ashy-gray to 

 dark brown and 

 deep furrowed. The 

 lateral branches take 

 an upright position. 

 The twigs are stout, 

 yellowish, marked 

 with grayish dots, have prominent ridges below leaf-scars. 

 The buds are large, resinous, glossy, chestnut-brown. Ter- 

 minal bud is often 5 -angled. 



The wood is soft, not durable, white to brown, works 

 easily. Used for paper pulp, boxes, and crates. 



The Cottonwood is found from Quebec south to Florida 

 and west to the Rocky Mountains. This tree occurs locally 

 in moist soils, and along streams and lakes throughout New 

 York outside of the Adirondacks and Catskills. 



Closely related to the Cottonwood is the introduced Lom- 

 bardy Poplar, a native of southern Europe. It can be recog- 

 nized by its narrow and high crown with almost vertical 

 lateral branches. Its leaves are triangular, short-tipped, finely 

 toothed along the margin. 



COTTONWOOD 



One-fourth natural size, except enlarged flowers 

 and twig. 



