NOTE ON THE LOMBARDY POPLAR 



{Populus pyramidalis, Roz.). 



W. G. SMITH, Ph.D., and T. H. TAYLOR, M.A. 



The Lombardy Poplar is one of the most erect of our deciduous 

 trees, and resembles in this respect many of the non-deciduous 

 group, such as the Spruce and Silver Fir. To a casual observer 

 viewing a row of well-grown poplars, the phrase ' as straight as 

 a poplar ' seems well justified. A closer study of the charac- 



Fig I.. Two branches from opposite sides of a young Lombardy Poplar ; 

 right-hand from south-west side, left-hand from north-east side. The 

 figure represents in both cases a view taken from the north-west. From 

 a photograph by E. E. Unwin, M.Sc. 



teristics of this tree shows, however, that it is not absolutely 

 erect, but leans to one side like some other poplars, such as 

 the Black Poplar. These trees, when growing in an open 

 inland district, both lean towards the north-east. The 

 degree to which they bend, is, however, not the same. 

 In the case of the Lombardy Poplar, the angle that the trunk 

 makes with the vertical is trifling, whereas in the case of the 



Naturalist, 



