BALSAM POPL \K. BALM OF GILE \l> 

 Populut balsamifera I.. 



The Willow lamih 



- \] l« \t I'M. 



Habit and Habitat : A medium sized tree, in height, 



with a trunk diameter of 1-2 feet in our state; with an erect, rather 

 narrow, open, rounded or pyramidal crown of few slender, ascending and 



horizontal branches. Prefers the low, moist, and rich soil of river bot- 

 tom-lands and borders of streams and swamps but in our area is found 

 upon moist, rocky, canyon sides and in BtreamleSfl canyon bottoms. 



Leayes and Buds: Leaves alternate, simple, 2-5 inches long, about 

 one-half as broad, ovate to broadly lance-shaped, finely serrate with 

 rounded teeth, thin, glossy and firm, dark green above, paler beneath, 



ioles 1-1% inches long, slender, cylindrical, smooth. Terminal bud 

 '. % inch long, ovoid, long-pointed, with many brownish-yellow, r< 

 inous, sticky and fragrant scales, lateral buds shorter, saturated with 

 a yellow balsamic, sticky exudation, hence the name. Leaves turning 

 bright yellow in autumn. 



Flowers and Fruits: Flowers produced in late March or April, be- 

 fore the leaves, in the form of dropping catkins; staminate catkins long- 

 Btalked, 3-4 inches long-; the pistillate in loosely-flowered, long-Stalked 

 drooping catkin.-. 4-5 inches long; calyx and corolla (»; stamens - 



ne upon broad fringed scales; ovary stout, with 2-lobed and wavy- 

 margined Btigmas. Fruit maturing in May, a dry, 2-valved pod, ovoid, 

 short-stalked. J 4 inch long, borne in loose, drooping catkins. 4-(> inch 

 luii. ds light brown, surrounded by cottony hairs which more or 



less completely surround the pods and serve to carry the seeds gn 

 distances from the tree. 



Bark, Twigs and Wood: Lark on old trees dark brownish-gray, 

 divided into broad rounded ridges covered with small closely appressed 



.les, on younger branches light brown, tinged with green or yell 

 and roughened by dark excrescences; twigs .-tout, dark reddish-brown, 

 shiny or downy at first, becoming dark orange, finally grayish-green. 

 Wood light brown, sapwood nearly white, weak, close-grained, light; 

 used i ively for paper pulp. 



Distribution in the State: This tree has a wonderfully wide dis- 

 tribution, ranging across northern Canada from Labrador to the A 

 kan coast and from Xew England across northern United States to the 

 Black Hills. Nevada and Oregon. It has come into Nebraska from the 

 ick Hills and is found only in a small portion of Sioux county in the 

 treme northwestern corner of the state. Map 9. 



Remarks: This is the la f northwestern America where in 



the valley of the Mackenzie and upper Yukon it attains magnificent 



■portions, reaching a height <»f a hundred feet and a diameter of 



t, and forms dense forests hum: f square miles in extent. It 



is often planted in the north for shelter and ornament. A variety of this 



• • Populus balsamifera candicans, is often known as the Balm of Gilead 



in n United State- and ifl more frequently used a- an ornamental 



tn The leaves of this variety are much broader aid are more 



coarsely serrate and the crown i- n • ading than in PoputtU 



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