aspen

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aspen
Aspen (Populus tremula) near Marburg

Aspen ( Populus tremula ) near Marburg

Systematics
Rosids
Eurosiden I
Order : Malpighiales (Malpighiales)
Family : Willow family (Salicaceae)
Genre : Poplars ( Populus )
Type : aspen
Scientific name
Populus tremula
L.
illustration
The trembling aspen leaves

The aspen , aspen or aspen ( Populus tremula ) is a plant from the genus of poplar ( Populus ).

In a broader sense, in addition to the European aspen, the large-toothed aspen ( Populus grandidentata ) and the American aspen ( Populus tremuloides ) are also referred to as aspens.

description

Depending on where it is found, the aspen as a tree usually reaches a height of 20, rarely up to 35 meters. In Central Europe, poplars are the fastest growing trees. This species reaches an average age of around 100 years, with growth already completed at 60 years. The aspen is characterized by a solid, usually straight or only slightly inclined trunk. At a young age she has a loose and light crown. In middle age, the crown develops a rather conical shape. The crown of older specimens is often multi-part and broad, rounded to irregular. The aspen primarily creates a taproot and later develops strong main lateral roots .

The bark of the younger aspen is very smooth and yellow-brown and has large, diamond-shaped cork warts. The bark of older trees takes on a dark gray color and forms longitudinal cracks.

The leaf buds are yellow to dark brown. The aspen has round leaves with a relatively long petiole that is flattened on the side. This is why the leaves move characteristically even in very low winds (hence the name Zitterpappel or the phrase "tremble like aspen leaves"). The fresh shoots are copper-brown and still tinged red until the end of May; the autumn color is pure golden yellow.

The aspen is dioecious , that is, female and male flowers occur on separate trees. Male trees bear very large numbers of the thick and gray-brown catkins ; they are yellowish in mid-March when dusted, later brown. The male kittens fall off the tree pretty quickly after they have bloomed. The female trees bear green, 4 by 0.5 cm large catkins with reddish bracts and gray hair. These female kittens become white wool by the opening of the many two-lobed capsules by mid-May and the delicately hairy seeds soon fly away, carried by the wind.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 38, but also 19 or 57.

ecology

As a typical type of light wood, the aspen can no longer rejuvenate in its own shadow. Hence it spreads through anemochory , that is, through the wind. By root suckers occur in low and medium forestry groups of closely together standing trunks. In contrast to the American quivering aspen , the European quaking aspen does not form large colonies by itself through root brood.

Extra-floral nectaries are found at the base of the petioles .

Importance as a fodder plant (selection)

The aspen or aspen is one of the most important forage plants of the butterflies native to Central Europe. The caterpillars of the most attractive and most endangered butterflies live on this tree, with the still shrub-shaped young trees along paths and at the edges of the forest being of the greatest importance. For reasons of biodiversity (species diversity), it is imperative not to clear these shrubs. The following butterflies develop on the aspen (trembling aspen).

Occurrence

The aspen is common in Western Asia , North Africa, and Europe . Only from Portugal, southern Spain and Sicily have no finds been known. It is considered to be the most widespread in Europe and the most common poplar species in Central Europe . In addition to it, there are two other species: the black poplar ( Populus nigra ) and the silver poplar ( Populus alba ). Due to its need for light, the aspen is often found on clear-cut areas.

The aspen is a descendent species in gorse and sloe communities and often occurs at their locations together with white willow , white birch , oak and broom .

It inhabits light forests, wayside and forest edges, stone heaps and hedges . As a pioneer tree , fallow land and clear-cutting are also part of their regular growth habitats. The aspen does not make high demands on the quality of the soil . It thrives best on loose, humus-rich, fresh to moist, nutrient-rich and alkaline- rich sand, loam and loess soils . It thrives equally well on locations with little or no lime. As a light tree species , it avoids growing places that are too shady. It often grows together with Betula pendula or Salix caprea in plant communities of the Sambuco-Salicion association, but also in those of the Genistion pilosae association or the Prunetalia order.

In the Allgäu Alps, it rises in Vorarlberg am Heuberg near Mittelberg to a height of 1270 meters.

use

Medical or alternative medicine

The aspen contains compounds of salicylic acid . That is why it is said to have analgesic , anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects. The bark , the leaves and the shoot tips are used for this.

Economically

Poplar wood is a very popular raw material . The wood is especially inexpensive and lightweight plywood , table tennis rackets , toothpicks , matches and many other products used. It is also processed into paper and used as biomass for energy production.

As so-called thermal wood , aspen wood is used in the production of floorboards . With this process, the wood achieves resistance class 1 according to DIN 350.

The aspen is often planted as a forest tree in Central , Eastern and Northern Europe . It is considered an excellent pioneer wood and is used as a forest , fill wood and auxiliary tree . As the nutrient-rich leaf chaff of the aspen breaks down easily, it is also valued for its soil-improving properties.

Trivia

The name of the northern Swedish city of Haparanda is Haaparanta in Finnish and means aspen beach .

photos

Aspen:

  • Habitus

  • The aspen in winter

  • Winter buds

  • Male kittens

  • Female kitten

  • Foliage leaf

  • bark

  • Wood

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas. 8th edition. Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3131-5 , p. 300.
  2. ↑ Asparagus as a butterfly food plant. In: floraweb.de. Retrieved June 19, 2011 .
  3. ↑ Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings . Volume 1, IHW-Verlag, Eching near Munich, 2001, ISBN 3-930167-50-6 , p. 404.

Web links

Commons : Aspen ( Populus tremula )  - album with pictures, videos and audio files