Gray poplar

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Gray poplar
Gray poplar in Saratov Oblast, Russia.

Gray poplar in Saratov Oblast , Russia.

Systematics
Rosids
Eurosiden I
Order : Malpighiales (Malpighiales)
Family : Willow family (Salicaceae)
Genre : Poplars ( Populus )
Type : Gray poplar
Scientific name
Populus × canescens
( Aiton ) Sm.

The gray poplar ( Populus × canescens ) is a deciduous tree from the poplar genus . It is a natural hybrid of silver poplar ( Populus alba ) and trembling poplar ( Populus tremula ).

description

Autumn leaves of the gray poplar

The gray poplar is a deciduous deciduous tree that can reach heights of up to 35 meters and trunk diameters of over 1.5 m. It is particularly known for its smooth, whitish, and later barky black bark with deep furrows. The bark of the branches is yellowish to light gray. The leaves are rounded to triangular or slightly five-lobed and about 7 × 7 cm in size. They are dense, silvery hairy when they shoot fresh. Later, the leaves are dark, glossy gray-green on top, but remain densely hairy on the underside and therefore gray-white. The petiole is about 5 cm long, flat and hairy.

The gray poplar, like almost all species of the genus, is dioecious, separate sexes ( diocesan ). The flowering time is in April. The male kittens are gray to reddish and yellow for a few days while dusting. The female inflorescences are greenish catkins, but are less common because the majority of the trees are male. White woolly seeds develop from the female kittens.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 38 or 57.

Distribution and location

The homeland of the gray poplar stretches over almost all of Europe without the Iberian Peninsula and Scandinavia and extends southeast over Turkey to the Caucasus . It is possible that deposits further east as far as Xinjiang in China are to be regarded as original.

The tree was introduced on the Iberian Peninsula, in Scandinavia, but also worldwide in other temperate zones such as the USA .

The gray poplar prefers sandy-loamy to loamy soil and sunny to partially shaded locations. It is more common locally in river valleys, especially on gravel banks of rivers and in floodplains. It also colonizes bog soils. The preferred pH is weakly acidic to weakly alkaline; the root is shallow and extremely wide.

Similar species

The otherwise very similar silver poplar ( Populus alba ) has a glossy white underside of leaves.

use

The gray poplar is characterized by a pronounced wind resistance. Since it also reproduces through root brood, it is used as an erosion protection and wind protection wood. In coastal areas it is often used to fortify dunes . Landscaping and horticulture value the gray poplar as an avenue tree and a popular green in parks. However, because of the risk of branch breakage, they are not planted directly on paths in parks and recreational forests.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . With the collaboration of Angelika Schwabe and Theo Müller. 8th, heavily revised and expanded edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3131-5 , pp.  301 .
  2. ^ Robert Zander : Zander. Concise dictionary of plant names. Edited by Walter Erhardt , Erich Götz, Nils Bödeker, Siegmund Seybold . 17th edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-8001-3573-6 .
  3. ↑ Gray poplar. In: GRIN Taxonomy for Plants. (engl.)

literature

  • Alan Mitchell: The forest and park trees of Europe. An identification book for dendrologists and nature lovers . Trans. U. edit by Gerd Krüssmann. Paul Parey, Hamburg / Berlin 1975. ISBN 3-490-05918-2

Web links

Commons : Gray Poplar ( Populus × canescens )  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files