526 
that of the Black Poplar; the young branches have much the same appearance, but their annual 
shoots are seldom more than a foot in length. The leaves resemble those of the Pear-tree; are about 
four inches long, and an inch and half broad in the middle, drawing towards a point at each end; 
their upper side is of a deep green; and their under side is hoary; they stand upon long footstalks, 
and are placed without order upon the branches. These flowers appear in July, and are succeeded 
by oval capsules terminating in a point, and inclosing downy seeds. The scaly covers of the buds 
abound with a tenacious balsam in the spring, becoming liquid by heat. It is of a yellowish colour 
and has a fragrant scent. 
This tree is a native of Canada, and some other parts of North America, whence the balsam was 
brought to Europe. It comes over in shells, and is smooth, of an even texture, and in colour like 
strained Galbanum, but lighter. 
Prom Canada it was brought to the island of Jersey, and was propagated there. Six of the 
plants were sent from thence to Caroline Queen consort of King George II, in the year 1731, by 
the title of Arbre cle la Heine . One of these was given by the Queen to Sir Hans Sloane, and 
was planted in the botanic garden at Chelsea, This produced male katkins several years, but 
produced none of the female or bisexual flowers until the year 1760 or thereabouts. It does 
not appear that this tree has been long in France; for Mons. Duhamel mentions it to have 
been lately planted there, and that it had supported the winter of 1754, which had killed many 
other trees.* 
Mr. Millers figure and description agree with the American Tacamahaca as it appears in our 
gardens. The former represents the male aments; it has much wider leaves; but he adds a leaf 
of a Daurian variety with a longer ovate leaf, more like ours; and of an Altaic variety, with a 
lanceolate leaf. 
The trunk of the tree in Siberia is straightish, not tall, covered with an ash-coloured bark; the ' 
wood reddish, closer and a little harder than in the common Poplars. The branchlets in the Altaie- 
tree are more slender, and rod-like; in the Daurian thick, short, knobbed and wrinkled, with a 
yellow skin sometimes of a very deep colour. Leaves in the rod-dike variety ovate-acuminate, in 
the Altaic commonly lanceolate; in the common Daurian ovate and thicker, so as to be in a man¬ 
ner coriaceous; in both very sharp, serrate, quite smooth, shining as if varnished, deep green above, 
pale underneath. Aments terminating, thick, the female ones ripening in June; containing ovate 
thick rugged capsules, subcalycled with the receptacle, scarcely peduncled. 
The buds of this tree, from autumn to the leafing season are covered with abundance of a glu¬ 
tinous yellow balsam, which often collects into drops, and is pressed from the tree for medical use. 
It dissolves in spirits of wine; and the inhabitants of Siberia prepare a medicated wine from the 
buds, which is diuretic, and esteemed by them serviceable in the scurvy. The Grous and other birds 
of that family feeding on these buds during winter, acquire a flavour which is much esteemed in 
that country. 
This tree occurs first, in Siberia, in the upper region of the river Irtis, by the Uba, Ulba, and 
other streams of the Altaic chain. It is more abundant in eastern Siberia, especially in the channels 
of the Jenisea Daurian rivers. On gravelly banks it grows to a considerable size, but with a short 
trunk; in subalpine situations it is taller; in the moist plains of Dauria it is shrubby, because the 
grass is fired there, and the twigs of the former year being thus destroyed, it cannot rise into 
a trunk.q* 
* Miller’s Figures. 
T Pallas, Ross. 
