54 COTTON-WOOD. 
est brought out are the widest; these are generally 
ovate and acute, (not acuminated as in the Balsam 
Poplar,) rounded below; afterwards come out a set of 
lanceolate leaves, much longer than the others, often 
three inches by only one inch wide; these are acute at 
both ends, and would pass very well for those of a Wil- 
low; they are all margined with fine bluntish appressed 
serratures, and beneath they are nearly the same colour 
as above. The footstalks of the leaves or petioles are 
about f to an inch in length. The nerves are all faint 
beneath and pennate, with no appearance of being 3- 
nerved at the base; the number of these nerves or late- 
ral vessels are 12 to 15 on a side, at least double the 
number they are in the Balsam Poplar. The rachis of 
the female ament is smooth, the germs much corrugated 
in drying, and the scaly cup of the germ very shallow, 
not more than half the size of that of the species to 
which it is so closely allied. Upon the whole compari- 
son, we are satisfied that this is as distinct a species as 
any in the genus. In the Flora Rossica, vol. 1. p. 67 
t. 41. B. a leaf is given as a variety of the Balsam 
Poplar from Altai, very similar to our present species. 
Plate XYI. 
A branch of the natural size. a. The capsule. 
COTTON-WOOD, Populus laevigata, Willd. (P. 
canadensis , Mich. Sylva, vol. 2. pi. 95.) 
This species, more hardy than the Mississippi Cotton- 
wood, is found on the banks of most of the western 
rivers for a considerable distance towards the Rocky 
Mountains. It is abundant on the borders of the Ar- 
kansa, but is no where met with in Oregon Territory. 
