CHAP. CIII.

SALICA CE.E. PO'PULUS.

1673

the trunks of trees of this kind, in North America, are covered with a verythick and deeply furrowed bark. The young branches and the annualshoots are round, instead of being angular, like those of P. angulata, P.canadensis, and P. monilifera. The leaves, while very young, are coveredwith a thick white down, which gradually disappears with age, till the leavesat last become perfectly smooth above, and slightly downy beneath. Theyare borne on long petioles ; the disks are often 6 in. in length, and as much inbreadth; of a thick nature, denticulated and heart-shaped, with the lobes ofthe base lapped, so as to conceal the junction of the petiole. The catkinsare drooping, and about 3 in. long, which is about half the length of those ofP. angulata. “ The wood,” Michaux adds, “ is soft and light, with the heartyellowish, and inclining to red; and the young branches are filled with a pithof the same colour. The tree is said to flourish in France, where, as inAmerica, its wood is held in little esteem. Both in French and British nur-series, it is propagated only by inarching and by layers. It well deservesculture as an ornamental tree, in rich moist soil, in a sheltered situation,where its large leaves will not be in danger of being torn by the wind. Themale catkins are produced in great abundance ; and, being very thick, thoughnot very long, they make a fine appearance, from their rich brownish red andyellow colour. Plants, in the London nurseries, are 2s. 6d. each; at Boll -wyller, 2 francs ; and at New York, 20 cents.

3! 14. P. balsami'fera L. The balsam-bearing Poplar, or Tacamahac

Tree.

Identification. Lin. SystVeg., 45., Mat. Med., 215.; Pall. FI. Ross., 1. p. 67. t. 41. ; Ait. Hort. Kew., ed.

2., 5. p. 397.: Willd. Arb., 230., Sp. PI., 4. p. 805.; Michx. Arb., 3. j North Amer. Sylva, 2. p. 237.t. 98.; Pursh FI. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 618.

Synonymcs. P. Tacamahdca Mill. Diet., No. 6.; the Tacamahac, Amer.; le B/iumier, Fr. j PeuplierHard, and also Tacamahac, in Canada ; Balsam Pappel, Ger.

The Sexes. Plants of the male are in English gardens. The female is figured in Pallas’s Flora Ros-sica t 1. t. 41. One or two flowers, clearly bisexual, have been found in a catkin of otherwise maleflowers, borne by a tree in the Botanic Garden at Bury St. Edmunds, previously to 1830, whichbore, at the same time, other catkins of male flowers. Miller mentions that a tree in the ChelseaBotanic Garden also produced both male and female flowers.

Engravings. Michx. Arb., 3. t. 13. f. 1. j North Amer. Sylva, 2. t. 98. f. 1.; Du Ham. Arb., ed. nov.,2. t. 50.; Pall. FI. Ross., 1. t. 41.; Wangh. Amer., t. 28. f. 59.; Trew Ehret., t. 46.; Catesb. Car.,

1.1. 34.; Gmel. Sib., 1.1. 33.; Pluk. Aim., t. 281. f. 1.; our Jig. 1535. of the male plant; fig. 1536. ofthe female ; and the plate of this tree in our last Volume.

Spec. Char., (re. Shoot round. Bud very gummy. Petiole round. Disk ofleaf ovate-acuminate, or ovate-lanceolate, serrated with adpressed teeth ;deep green on the upper surface, whitish on the under one, and tomentosethere, but rather inconspicuously so, and netted with glabrous veins. Sti-pules subspinescent, bearing gum. Stamens 16, or more. (Willd., Michx.jun., and obs.) A tree, a native of North America, and in Dahuria andAltai. It was cultivated in England as early as 1692, in the Royal Gardensat Hampton Court. (Ait. Hort. Kew.) It flowers in March, in NorthAmerica (Pursh); in April, in England (Ait. Hort. Kew.); and thefemale, in Dahuria, in May. (Pallas.) In the climate of London, accordingto Miller, the male flowers come out in long catkins in April and May, andfall off soon after: their stamens are numerous, irregular in height, andcrowned with bearded anthers of a purple colour. The hermaphroditeflowers are produced at the end of the shoots, upon long slender peduncles,in very loose catkins, having a leafy involucre under each, which is ovaland entire; and from the bosom of that arises the peduncle, which is veryshort. Upon the top is placed the petal, or calyx (or nectary, accordingto Linnaeus), shaped like a wide cup, having a style in the centre, and twostamens on one side, terminated by pyramidal purple anthers. The femaleflowers are succeeded by oval capsules, terminating in a point, and en-closing downy seeds. (Mart. Mill.)

Varieties.

2 P. b. 2 viminalis ; P. viminalis Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; /’■ salicifolia Hort.;

P. longifolia Fischer, Pall. Ross., t. 41. B; is a native of Altai, with