Flowers brown ; March and April. Seeds ripe ; May. Decaying leaves
dark brown or black.
Varieties.
Ï P . t. 2 péndula. P.-çéwàala Lodd. Cat. 1836; P . supina Lodd. Cat.
ed. 1836. (T h e pla te o f this variety in our first edition, vol. vii. )—The
only distinct variety o f P . trémula th a t exists in th e neighbourhood of
London.
¥ 3 P . /. 3 lævigàta. P . lævigata Ait. Hort. Kew., Lodd. Cat. ed. 1836,—
Leaves shining, rath er larger th an in th e species.
A rapid-growing tree, rath er exceeding th e middle size, with a straight clean
trunk, tall in proportion to its thickness; and a smooth bark, which becomCvS
grey, and cracks with age. The branches, which extend horizontally, and
are n o t very numerous, a t length become pendulous. The young shoots are
tough, pliant, and o f a reddish colour ; and both th e wood and th e leaves vary
exceedingly, according to th e dryness o r moisture o f th e soil in which the
tre e is grown. The young shoots and leaves, produced in the form o f suckers
from th e roots, are greedily eaten by ca ttle and sheep. T h e roots, from their
nearness to th e surface, impoverish th e land, and prevent anything else ft-oin
growing on it luxuriantly ; and th e leaves destroy
th e grass. The wood weighs, when green, 54 lb.
C oz. ; half-dry, 40 lb. 8 oz. ; and quite dry, 34 lb.
1 oz. : it consequently loses two fifths o f its weight
by drying. I t shrinks by this operation one sixth
pa rt o f its bulk, and cracks and splits in an extreme
degree. The wood is white and ten d er : and it is
employed by tu rn e rs; by coopers, for herring casks,
milk-pails, &c. ; by sculptors and engravers ; and
by joiners and cabinet-makers ; and for various
minor uses, such as clogs, butchers’ trays, pack- 1
saddles, &c. As th e roots o f this tre e chiefly v
extend close under th e surface o f th e ground, it is
better adapted for soils th a t are constantly wet
below, than almost any oth e r tree, since its roots, 1494. p. trémula,
by keeping so very near th e surface, are never out
o f th e reach o f th e air, which they would be if they penetrated into soil
perpetually saturated with water. Propajiated by cuttings, but not so readily as
most oth e r species. Wherever trees are found, they generally throw up suckers
from which plants may be selected ; o r cuttings o f th e roots may be made use of.
¥ 4. P. ( t . ) t r e ' p i d a Willd. The North Ainerican trembling-ZmiicrZ
Po p lar, or American Aspen.
I d e n ti fic a tio n . W i lld . S p . P L , 4. p . 8 03. ; P u r s h F l . A m e r . S e p t., 2.
p . 6 18.
S y n o n y m e . P . t r em u lo ld e s M ic h x . N o r t h A rn e i'. S y l v a 2. p . 2 4 1 ., N .
D u H a m . 2. p . 1 8 4 .-
T h e S e x e s . 'A p l a n t o f th e f em a le is in th e L o n d o n H o r t i c u l tu r a l
S o c ie ty ’s a r b o r e t u m , w h e r e i t f low e r e d in A p r i l , 1836, th o u g h o n ly
5 o r 6 f e e t h i g h . T h e s ligm a s w e r e 6 o r 8.
E n g r a v in g s . N . D u H am ., 2. t . Ö3. ; M ic h x . N o r t h A m e r . S y lv a , 2.
t . 99. f . 1. ; a n d o u r f i g . 1495.
Spec. Char., 4'<^. Disk o f leaf suborbiculate, except
having an abruptly acuminate point; to o th ed ; having
two glands a t its base on th e upper surface ; silky
while young, afterwards glabrous. Bud resinous.
P e tio le compressed. Disk o f leaf to o th ed with
hooked te eth , ciliate. Catkins silky. (M ic h .) A
tree. Canada to Carolina, in swamps ; and found
also from Fludson’s Bay to th e northward o f the
Great Slave Lake, as far as lat. 64°. Height 20 ft.
to 3 0 ft. Introduced in 1812. Flowers b row n ;
April. Seed ripe in May. Decaying leaves dark
brown o r black. hdû. p. (t.i trépwa.
Its usual period o f leafing, in England, is before th a t o f P. trémula. Among
the Cree Indians, tlie wood is esteemed to burn better, in a green state, than
that of any otlier tree in th e country.
¥ 5 . P. ( t . ) g r a n d i d e n t a t a Michx. The large-toothed-feawá Poplar,
or North American large Aspen.
Id e n tific a tio n . M ic h x . F L B o r . A m e r . , 2. p . 243. ; P u r s h F l . A m e r . S e p t . , 2 . p . 619.
T k e S e xe s. 'I’h e f em a le is r e p r e s e n te d in M ic h a u x ’s f ig u r e . ^
E n g r a v in g s . M ic h x . N o r t h A m e r . S y lv a , 2. t. 9 9 . f. 2. ; a n d o u r f ig . 1496,
Spec. Char., 4c. Leaf, when young, reddish,
villous, afterwards glabrous on both surfaces
; th e petiole compressed in the
terminal part ; th e disk roundish-ovate,
acute, sinuately toothed with large un equal
teeth. (Pu rsh .) A tre e . Canada.
Height 40 It. to 50 ft. with a tru n k 10
or 12 inches in diameter. Introduced in
1772. Flowers Lrown ; April. Decaying
leaves dark brown o r black.
Variety.
Ï P. ( /.) g. 2 péndula Michx. Flor.
Bor. Amer. is said to have pendulous
branches. H . S.
The full-formed disk o f th e leaf is nearly
rouncl, and 2 or 3 inches in width, with large
unequal indentations in th e margins. The
most ornamental of all th e poplars, when
the leaves expand in spring, from their
deep purplish red colour.
¥ 6. P. g r æ ' c a Ait. The Grecian, or Athenian, Poplar.
M c n iific a tio n . A it. I l o r t . K ew ., e d . l . , 3 . p . 4 07. ; W i l ld . S p . P L , 4 . p . 8 0 4 .; N . D u H am ., 2.
Dcrilmiion T h e t r e e is s u p p o s e d t o b e a n a t iv e o f N o r t h A m e r ic a , a n d to b e n am e d a f t e r th e
v illa g e c a lle d A th e n s , o n t h e b a n k s o f th e M is s is s ip p i, w ite r e t h e t r e e g r o w s a b u n d a n t ly . S e e
T h e % e x e s Ñ T h ¿ í e i n á ¿ is ’in t h e L o n d o n H o r t i c u l tu r a l S o c ie ty ’s a r b o r e t u m ; a n d w a s , s om e y e a r s
a g o , in g a rd e n s a t B u r y S t . E d m u n d s , a n d in th e p l a n t a t io n s o f O . R . O a k e s , E s q ., a t N ew to n ,
n e a r t h a t tow n . W il ld e n o w , in h is S p . P l . , a lso m e n t io n s th e m a le a s t h e o n ly o n e t h a t h e h a d
se en liv in g . I t is d o u b t f u l w h e t h e r th e m a le is in B r i tam . . . .
Engravings. N . D u H am ., 2 . t . 5 4 . ; th e p l a t e o f th i s t r e e in A rb . B n t . , 1 s t e d i t , v o l. v n . :
1497-
Spec. Char., 4c, Branch round, glabrous. Petiole
compressed. Disk o f leaf roundish ovate, having
a shallow sinus at th e base, and terminating in an
acute point ; serrated with equal te eth th a t are
adpressed ; glabrous, except being slightly ciliated
on the edge. (Willd.) A tre e, according to Willd.,
wild in the islands o f th e Archipelago ; but, n o t
being included in th e Prod. Flora Græca, it is more
probably a native o f North America. Height 30 ft.
to 60 ft. Seeds ripe in May. Cultivated in Britmn
in 1779. Flowers brown ; March and April. Decaying
leaves black.
A handsome vigorous-growing tree, very interesting
when in flower, from its numerous darkish-coloured
catkins, which have th e plume-like cha ra cte r o f those
of P . trémula, P. trépida, and P . grandidentàta. The
leaves, in th e ir form, colour, and general aspect, re semble
those o f P . trépida, b u t are longer.
3 g 4
1496. P. (t.) grandidentàta.
: a n d o