Populus angustifolia

Populus angustifolia James

by Anthony Blome Native Plants Class 2005

Common Names: Narrow Leaf Cottonwood, Mountain Cottonwood (1,2), Narrowleaf poplar, Alamo (3)

Family: Willow family, Salicaceae (1,2)

Synonymy: Populus balsamifera L. var. angustifolia (James) S. Wats.; Populus canadensis Moench var. angustifolia (James) Wesmael; Populus fortissima A. Nels. & J.F. Macbr.; Populus salicifolia Raf.; Populus ×sennii Boivin; Populus tweedyi Britt. (1).

Entymology: “Populus” = poplar tree; “angustifolius” = narrow leaves (3)

Identification

Growth Form: Medium sized deciduous tree up to more than 18 inches in diameter (1).

Stem: Bark is yellowish green and smooth when young, and is brownish to grayish brown and deeply furrowed on large trunks (1,2). Twigs are slender to moderately stout, round, shiny yellow-brown, orange lenticels, buds are yellow-green and brown, long (1 inch), curved, resinous and fragrant with a bitter aspirin taste. (4)

Leaves: Alternate and simple in shape (4), shiny, yellowish green above, paler beneath; lance-shaped to 5” long and 1” wide (2); Margins are finely saw-toothed with a leathery; yellowish midvein; tapering and long-pointed.

Inflorescence/flowers: Plants are dioecious and have male and female on separate trees, with narrow; reddish catkins to 3” long (1,2).

Fruit: Many-seeded small cottony capsules (1)

Similar Species: May be confused with Salix gooddingii, but P. angustifolia has sticky, shiny terminal buds.

Ecology

Life History Tree living 100-200 years (1).

Native/introduced: Native

Photosynthetic Pathway:

Phenology: Blooms early spring (2).

Distribution: Common throughout most of Western U.S., Canada to Mexico; common along mountain streams (1,2), at high altitudes; Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah 5,000’-8,000’. (1,2) Reproduction within foothill rivers and relatively clear streams with coarse substrates, promoting colonization of bare gravel bars. Steep gradients, coarse streambeds, and constrained channels also promote clonal regeneration. In Arizona, commonly found in Coconino, Apache, and Navajo counties (1).

Uses

Human: Wood used for fence posts and fuel (1,2). Inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread. North American Indian tribes used as a sweetener. Buds used for chewing gum. Contain simple phenol glycosides: salacin and populin, used especially in treating rheumatism and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps (3,5).

Wildlife: Narrowleaf cottonwood provides good avian nesting and breeding habitat (6). Narrowleaf cottonwood is a major food plant of beaver and is most commonly harvested when greater than 1 inch (3 cm) d.b.h. (7).

References

USDA, NRCS. 2005. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 ( http://plants.usda.gov). Data compiled from various sources by Mark W. Skinner. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
Epple, A. O. 1995. A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona. Guilford, CT. Globe Pequot Press, 37-38
Hogan, P., Huisinga, K. 1999. An Annotated Catalog of the Native and Naturalized Flora
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus2/factsheet.cfm?ID=898
http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Populus+angustifolia&CAN=COMIND
Saab, Victoria A. 1992. Small land birds breeding in cottonwood riparian forests of southeastern Idaho. Northwest Environmental Journal. 8(1): 226-228. [23438]
Lanner, Ronald M. 1983. Trees of the Great Basin: A natural history. Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press. 215 p. [1401]

Populus angustifolia James by Anthony Blome Native Plants Class 2005 Common Names: Narrow Leaf Cottonwood, Mountain Cottonwood (1,2), Narrowleaf poplar, Alamo (3) Family: Willow family, Salicaceae (1,2) Synonymy: Populus balsamifera L. var. angustifolia (James) S. Wats.; Populus canadensis Moench var. angustifolia (James) Wesmael; Populus fortissima A. Nels. & J.F. Macbr.; Populus salicifolia Raf.; Populus ×sennii Boivin; Populus tweedyi Britt. (1). Entymology: “Populus” = poplar tree; “angustifolius” = narrow leaves (3) Identification Growth Form: Medium sized deciduous tree up to more than 18 inches in diameter (1). Stem: Bark is yellowish green and smooth when young, and is brownish to grayish brown and deeply furrowed on large trunks (1,2). Twigs are slender to moderately stout, round, shiny yellow-brown, orange lenticels, buds are yellow-green and brown, long (1 inch), curved, resinous and fragrant with a bitter aspirin taste. (4) Leaves: Alternate and simple in shape (4), shiny, yellowish green above, paler beneath; lance-shaped to 5” long and 1” wide (2); Margins are finely saw-toothed with a leathery; yellowish midvein; tapering and long-pointed. Inflorescence/flowers: Plants are dioecious and have male and female on separate trees, with narrow; reddish catkins to 3” long (1,2). Fruit: Many-seeded small cottony capsules (1) Similar Species: May be confused with Salix gooddingii, but P. angustifolia has sticky, shiny terminal buds. Ecology Life History Tree living 100-200 years (1). Native/introduced: Native Photosynthetic Pathway: Phenology: Blooms early spring (2). Distribution: Common throughout most of Western U.S., Canada to Mexico; common along mountain streams (1,2), at high altitudes; Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah 5,000’-8,000’. (1,2) Reproduction within foothill rivers and relatively clear streams with coarse substrates, promoting colonization of bare gravel bars. Steep gradients, coarse streambeds, and constrained channels also promote clonal regeneration. In Arizona, commonly found in Coconino, Apache, and Navajo counties (1). Uses Human: Wood used for fence posts and fuel (1,2). Inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to cereals when making bread. North American Indian tribes used as a sweetener. Buds used for chewing gum. Contain simple phenol glycosides: salacin and populin, used especially in treating rheumatism and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps (3,5). Wildlife: Narrowleaf cottonwood provides good avian nesting and breeding habitat (6). Narrowleaf cottonwood is a major food plant of beaver and is most commonly harvested when greater than 1 inch (3 cm) d.b.h. (7). References USDA, NRCS. 2005. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 ( http://plants.usda.gov). Data compiled from various sources by Mark W. Skinner. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. Epple, A. O. 1995. A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona. Guilford, CT. Globe Pequot Press, 37-38 Hogan, P., Huisinga, K. 1999. An Annotated Catalog of the Native and Naturalized Flora http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus2/factsheet.cfm?ID=898 http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Populus+angustifolia&CAN=COMIND Saab, Victoria A. 1992. Small land birds breeding in cottonwood riparian forests of southeastern Idaho. Northwest Environmental Journal. 8(1): 226-228. [23438] Lanner, Ronald M. 1983. Trees of the Great Basin: A natural history. Reno, NV: University of Nevada Press. 215 p. [1401]