AMENTACE^E. 



769 



the young shoots, as well as the under 

 side of the full-grown leaves, covered 

 with a close, very white cotton. Leaves 

 orbicular or very broadly ovate, irregu- 

 larly sinuate or shortly lobed, more or 

 less cordate at the base. Catkins sessile, 

 about 2 inches long, the membranous 

 scales jagged at the top, very deciduous, 

 hairy in the males, less so in the females. 

 Stamens usually about 8. Lobes of the 

 stigmas linear. 



Along streams, and in open, moist 

 woods, dispersed over central and south- 

 ern Europe and temperate Russian Asia, 

 scarcely extending into northern Ger- 

 many. In Britain, very generally 

 planted, and probably truly indigenous 

 in eastern and southern England. Fl. 

 spring. The grey P. (P. canescens, Eng. Bot. t. 1619) is a variety 

 with rather smaller leaves, seldom lobed, and not so white. 



2. Aspen Poplar. Populus tremula, Linn. (Fig. 926.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1909. Aspen.) 



A smaller tree than our two other 

 Poplars, of slower growth, the branches 

 more slender. Leaves nearly orbicular, 

 like those of the white P., but smaller, 

 often not an inch broad, less deeply 

 toothed, scarcely cordate, of a thinner 

 texture, without any white cotton, al- 

 though sometimes very pale underneath ; 

 the leafstalks particularly slender, so 

 that the blade trembles with the slight- 

 est motion of the air. Catkins much 

 smaller than in the white P., the scales as 

 well as the stigmas more deeply divided. 

 Stamens usually 6 to 8. 



In woods and forests, throughout Eu- 

 rope and Russian Asia, from the Me- 

 diterranean to the Arctic Circle. In 

 Britain, apparently more frequent in Scotland than in England or 

 Ireland. H. early spring. 



Fig. 926. 



