P O P U L U S nigra.
Black Poplar.
DIOECIA Polyandria.
G en. Char. Male, Cal. the scales of a catkin, torn.
Cor. turbinate, oblique, entire. Stam. 8 or more.
Female, Cal. and Cor. like the male. Stigmas 4
or 8. Caps, superior, with 2 cells and 2 valves.
Seeds downy.
Sp e c . Ch a r . Leaves deltoid, pointed, serrated, smooth
on both sides. Catkins cylindrical, lax. Stigmas
four.
S yn. Populus nigra. Linn. Sp. PI. 1464. Sm. FI.
B rit. 1081. Huds. 434. With. 3 7 6 . B u ll. 2 2 1 .
Relh. 391. Sihth. 126. Abbot. 215.,. Raii
Syn. 446. Ger. em. 1486.
F r e q u e n t in wet shady places near rivers, but it will also
grow if planted in dry gravelly ground. It flowers in March,
and forms a large tall tree.
The root throws out no suckers. The bark is thick and somewhat
spongy. Wood tough and close-grained. Footstalks
but half as long as the leaves, sometimes hairy. Leaves deep
green, very smooth, trowel-shaped, pointed, serrated; entire,
and sometimes extended into an obtuse angle, at the base.
Catkins stalked, long, loose and pendulous; their scales occasionally
hairy or smooth. Stamens rarely more than 8 with
us, though Linnreus and Leers describe 16. Germen elongated,
of a slender ovate figure. Stigmas 4, awlshaped,
simple.
The reason of our referring this genus, with others, to
Dioecia Polyandria may be seen in Introd. to Botany, 482.
July i j 8 o8. TuBUshZL T>y J- Son-ait/ XapAan..