Part 23

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Small trees found growing sparingly in the mountain counties; observed in Randolph, Pocahontas, Pendleton, Grant, Tucker, Preston and Upshur counties. Reported from Calhoun, Gilmer, Monongalia, Mason, Summers and Wirt counties.

=Habitat=.—Prefers sandy and gravelly soils, but thrives on others; frequent in high cut-over areas which have been burned.

=Notes=.—This tree, which is locally known as Quaking Asp, can be distinguished from the other poplars by its finely-toothed tremulous leaves. The species is not important in West Virginia, and is seldom used for any purpose.

LARGE-TOOTHED POPLAR

=Populus grandidentata=, Michx.

=Form=.—Height 30-60 feet, diameter 1-2 feet; trunk continuous, tapering; slender ascending branches forming a somewhat loose oval crown.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, round-ovate, coarsely sinuate-toothed, thin, dark green above, paler beneath, smooth; petioles long, slender, laterally flattened.

=Flowers=.—April-May, before the leaves; dioecious; staminate in short catkins; pistillate in elongating looser catkins.

=Fruit=.—Two-halved, cone-shaped, hairy capsules ⅛ inch long on drooping catkins; seeds brown, small, with long white hairs.

=Bark=.—Smooth except near the base, gray-green, resembling that of American Aspen, but with more yellowish or buff color on young trunks and limbs.

=Wood=.—Light, soft, not strong, light brown with almost white sapwood.

=Range=.—Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Minnesota to Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Delaware; southward along the Alleghanies to North Carolina.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Not common. Found in the following localities: Webster, on Elk Mountain; Randolph, Horton and Gandy Creek; Tucker, near Davis; Monongalia, Deckers Creek; Tyler near Middlebourne. Reported from Ohio and Preston counties.

=Habitat=.—Rich, moist, sandy soil.

=Notes=.—This tree can be distinguished by its coarse-toothed leaves. It is comparatively rare and of little importance commercially.

COTTONWOOD

=Populus deltoides=, Marsh.

=Form=.—Height 50-100 feet, diameter 3-5 feet; trunk usually continuous and tapering; horizontal and ascending branches forming a long pyramidal crown.

=Leaves=.—Alternate, simple, deltoid or broadly ovate, 3-5 inches long, margins coarsely crenate toothed except at base and apex, dark shining green above, paler beneath, petioles 2-3 inches long, laterally flattened.

=Flowers=.—April, before the leaves; dioecious; staminate in short drooping catkins; pistillate in elongating looser catkins.

=Fruit=.—Capsule 2-4-valved on long drooping catkins; brown seeds covered with a dense mat of long white hairs.

=Bark=.—Rough on old trees, with deep fissures and with more or less parallel and connected rounded ridges.

=Wood=.—Light, soft, not easily seasoned, brown with thick whitish sapwood.

=Range=.—Southern Canada to Florida and west to the Rocky Mountains.

=Distribution in West Virginia=.—Infrequent; South Branch of the Potomac River near Romney, Hampshire County, and near Petersburg, Grant County. Found at a few other points along the Potomac and its tributaries.

=Habitat=.—Prefers rich moist soil, along the banks of streams.

=Notes=.—The Cottonwood, commonly known as Carolina Poplar, is the largest of our true poplars. It is rare and of little value where it grows naturally in the State, but is extensively planted as a shade tree. This species is a very rapid grower but otherwise has little to recommend it for ornamental planting.

BUTTERNUT