is d e r iv e d f ro m th e D u t c h n am e o f th e t r e e . A b e e l ; a n d t h i s n am e is s u p p o s e d b y s om e to b e ta k e n
f rom t h a t o f th e c i ty o f A rb e la , h i th e p la in s o f N in e v e h , n e a r w in c h , o n t h e b a n k s o f t h e T ig r is
a n d E u p h r a t e s , g r e a t n u m b e r s o f th e s e t r e e s g r e w . I t i s s a id to b o t h e s am e t r e e a s t h a t m e n tio n e d
i n th e B ib le a s A b e l - s h i t tim , C h i t tim , S h i ttim -w o o d , a n d K i tt im . T h e D u t c h B e e c h is a n o ld
n a m e , g iv e n to th is t r e e , a s w e a r e in f o rm e d b y H a r t l i b , in h is C om p le a t H u s b a n d m a n (1G59), on
a c c o u n t o f t e n th o u s a n d t r e e s o f i t h a v in g b e e n b r o u g h t o v e r a l l a t o n c e f ro m F l a n d e r ^ a n d
p l a n te d in th e c o u n t r y p la c e s ; w h e r e t h e p e o p le , n o t k n o w in g w h a t th e y wcre,_ c a lle d th e in D u tc h
b e e c h t r e e s . T h e F r e n c h n am e o f Y p r é a u a llu d e s t o th o t r e e b e in g f o u n d i n g r e a t a b u n d a n c e
¿ ¿ ¿ x e s . B o t h s S e ^ a ^ d e s c r ib e d in t h e E n g lis h F lo r a , a n d a r e n o t u n f r e q u e n t j n p la n ta t io n s .
E n g r a v in g s . E n g . B o t ., t . 1618. ; H a y n e A b b ild ., t . 2Ü2. ; th e p l a t e o f t h i s t r e e in A rb . B n t . , 1st
e d i t., v o l. v ii. ; a n d o u r / g . 1492.
Spec. Char., Leaves lobed and toothed ; somewhat
heart-shaped a t th e base ; snow-white, and
densely downy beneath. Catkins o f th e female
plant ovate. Stigmas 4. {Smith.) R o o t creeping,
and producing numerous suckers. Branches very
white, and densely downy when young. Leaves
angular, and generally with thre e principal lobes,
variously and unequally toothed, blunt-pointed,
veiny; dark green and smooth above, and covered
with a thick remarkably wbite down beneath.
Th e leaves vary very much in form ; and on young
luxuriant branches they are almost palmate. The
leaves are n o t folded in th e bud, and th e buds 1492. p. âiba.
are without gum. A large tre e. Europe, in woods
or thickets, in rather moist soil. Height 90 ft.
Flowers dark brown ;
March. Seed ripe ; May. Decaying leaves dark brown.
Varieties. These are numerous, but th e principal one, F. (a .) canescens, being
ed as a species, we shall first give it as such ; after enup.
generally considered
merating the varieties which belong to P . álba.
Ï P . a. 2 hyhrida Bieb. F l. Tau r. Cauc. 2. p.. » »
423. and Suppl. p. 633.
P. álba Bieh. 1. c. ; ? P . intermèdia Mertens ; P . a. crassifòlia
Merten s; and P . grísea Lorfi/. Cat. 1836. — Appears to be intermediate
between P . álba and P . (a .) canescens. I t is plentiful in
th e neighbourhood o f streams in Tauria and Caucasus; whence it
appears to have been introduced into Britain in 1816.
Î P . a. 3 acerifòlia, P . acerifòlia Lodd. Cat. ed. 1836; P . çuercifôlia
Hort. ; P . palmàta Hort. ; P . arembérgica Lodd. Cat. 1836 ; P.
bélgica Lodd. Cat. 1836. — A very distinct variety o f P . álba, with
th e leaves broad, and deeply lobed, like those o f some kinds of
J 'c e r.
¥ P . a. 4 cândicans. P . cândicans Lodd. Cat. ed. 1636 ; P . vAvea Lodd.
Cat. — A strong-growing variety o f P . álba ; probably identical with
P . acerifòlia. This is th e P . tomentósa o f th e Hawick Nursery,
and th e hoary poplar o f th e Edinburgh nurseries, where it is propagated
by layers.
¥ P , a. o oegj/ptiaca Flort. P . a. pàllida Hort. ; th e Egyptian white Poplar.
— A much weaker-growing plant th an any of th e preceding varieties.
¥ P . a. 6 péndula, P . a. var. gràcilis ràmis pendéntibus Mertens. — Specimens
of this variety, of both sexes, are in th e Linnean herbarium ;
and th e re are trees o f it on th e ramparts a t B remen.
¥ 2 . P . ( a . ) c a n e ' s c e n s Smith. The grey, or common white. Poplar.
I d e n tific a tio n . S m i th F l . B r i t . , p . 1 0 8 0 .; E n g . F l . , 4. p . 243.
S y n o n y m e s . B . á lb a M iU . D ic t. e d . 8 . N o . 1. ; P. á lb a fò iiis m in ó r ib u s R a i i S y n . 446. ; E . â lb a
fò lio m in ó r e B a u h . H i s t . v . 1. p . 2. 160. f ig . ; P e u p l i e r g r i s a i lle , F r .
T h e S e x e s . O n ly th e f em a le p l a n t is e x p r e s s ly d e s c r ib e d i n t h e E n g lis h F lo r a . T h e p l a n t in th e
H o r t i c u l tu r a l S o c ie ty ’s G a r d e n is t h e m a le .
E n g r a v in g s . E n g . B o t . , t . 1619. ; H a y n e A b b ild ., t . 2 01. ; a n d o u r f i g . 1493.
Spec. Char., Sçc. Leaves roundish, deeply waved, to o th ed ; hoary and downy
beneath. Catkins o f th e female plant cylindrical. Stigmas 8. I t is
essentially distinguished from P . álba, as Mr. Crowe first discovered,
by th e stigmas, which are 8, spreading in two opposite directions. The
bracteas o f th e fertile flowers are, also, more deeply and regularly cut. The
branches are more upright and compact. Tbe leaves are rounder, more
conspicuously 3-ribbed, and less deeply or acutely lobed ; n o t folded in th e
bud, and without gum. They are downy beneath ; b u t th e down is chiefly
greyish, and n o t so white o r cottony as in P . álba ; in some instances th e
leaves are glabrous. {Smith.) A tree closely resembling th e preceding
species, and found in similar situations.
The wood o f th e white poplar weighs, when green, 58 lb. 3 oz. per cubic
foot ; and in a dried s tate, 38 lb. 7 oz. : it shrinks and cracks considerably in
drying, losing one qu arter o f its bulk. The wood o f P . (a .) canéscens is said
to be much harder and more durable than th a t o f P . álba ; in th e same m anner
as the wood o f th e P ilia europæ'a parvifòlia is finer-grained and harder than
that of T . e. grandifòlia. The wood o f both kinds is th e whitest o f th e genus ;
and it is used, in F ran ce and Germany, for a variety o f minor purposes, particularly
when lightness, either o f weight or colour, is th o u g h t de.sirable ; or
where an artificial colour is to be given by staining. It is excellent for forming
packing-cases, because nails may be driven into it without its splitting. It
is used by the tu rn e r and th e cabinet-maker, and a great many toys and small
articles are made o f it. The boards and rollers around which pieces o f silk
are wrapped in merchants’ warehouses and in shops are made o f this wood,
which is peculiarly suitable for this purpose, from its lightness, which prevents
it much increasing th e expense o f carriage. Th e principal use o f the wood of
the white poplar in Britain is for flooring-boards ; b u t for this purpose it
requires to be seasoned for two or th re e years before using. F o r th e abele to
attain a large size, th e soil in which it is planted should
be loamy, and nea r water ; though on a dry soil, where
the tree will grow slower, th e timber will be finer-grained,
and more durable. In British nurseries, it is commonly
propagated by layers ; which, as they seldom ripen the
points o f their shoots, or produce abundance o f fibrous
roots the first season, ought to be transjflanted into
nursery lines for a t least one year before removal to
their final situation. Th e tre e is admirably adapted for
thickening o r filling up blanks in woods and plantations ;
and, for this purpose, truncheons m a y b e planted 3 in. ^
or 4 in. in diameter, and 10 ft. or 12 ft. high. Owing to
the softness o f the wood, and its liability to shrink and
crack, it is dangerous to cu t o ff very large b ranche s;
and, even when branches o f moderate size are^ cut off,
the wound ought always to be covered over with grafting
clay, o r some description of plaster, to exclude
the air. The tree is considered, both by F ren ch and
English authors, as bearing lopping worse than any
other species o f th e g e n u s ; and, when transplanted, th e head should never
be cut off, and n o t even cu t in, unless in cases where th e tre e is to be planted
in a hot and dry soil.
¥ 3. P . t r e 'm u l a L . The trembling-/<?aw(; Po p lar, 0)’ Jipew.
Id en tific a tio n . L i n . S p . P L , 1464. ; E n g . F L , 4. p . 244. ; H o o k . F L S c o t., 289.
S y n o n ym e s . F . líb y c a R a i i S y n . 456. ; P . h ÿ b r id a D o d . P e m p t. 8 36. ; P . n i g r a T r a g . H i s t . 1033.
f i | . ; P . p é n d u la D u R o i \ A s p e ; l e T r em b l e , Fr.% l a T r em o l a , A lb e r a l la , A ib e r e t to , I t a l . ;
P m l a a o n ! ^ ^ T h ^ E n % i s l ^ ^ o f A s p e n o r A sp e is e v id e n tly d e r iv e d f rom th e G e rm a n , e sp e .
T k e Sexes. B o th s e x e s a re d e s c r ib e d in t h e P n g iw A P i o r a . t, . au- ,,u
E n g ra v in g s . E n g . B o t ., t. 1909. ; H a y n e A b b ilS ., t . 2 03. ; t h e p la te in A r b . B n t . , 1 s t e d i t . , v o l. v ii. ;
a n d o u r / ¿ - . 1494.
Spec. Char., 4c. Young branchlets hairy. Leaves having compressed footstalks,
and disks th a t are roundish-ovate, o r nearly orbicular ; too th ed in a
repand manner, downy when young, afterwards glabrous on both surfaces.
Stigmas 4, erect, eared a t th e base. (Smith.) A large tre e, b u t seldom seen
so high as P. álba. Eu ro p e ; in rather moist woods. Height 50 ft. to 70 ft,
3 G 3
1493. P. (a.) canéscens.
íT