Weed Information: Populus alba (poplar, white)
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Populus alba (poplar, white)

Family: Salicaceae

Description

Closely related to the cottonwoods and producing snow storms of fluffy seeds early in the summer. Leaves are dark green on the upper surface and fuzzy white underneath. Also known as silver poplar.

Characteristics

Flower Color
  • Green
Number of Petals
  • 0 (no petals)
Flower Symmetry
  • Flowers regular
Flower Length (Head length in the Asteraceae)
  • < 1 mm (< .04 inch)
  • 1 mm (.04 inch)
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
Flower Width (Head width in the Asteraceae)
  • < 1 mm (< .04 inch)
  • 1 mm (.04 inch)
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
Number of Sepals
  • sepals lacking
  • 5 sepals
Flower Sex
  • Unisexual (monoecious or dioecious)
Number of Styles
  • Styles lacking (male flowers only)
  • 2 styles
  • 3 styles
  • 4 styles
Number of Stamens
  • stamens lacking (female flowers only)
  • 6 stamens
  • 7 stamens
  • 8 stamens
  • 9 stamens
  • 10 stamens
Stamens Attached to the Petals
  • Stamens NOT attached to the petals
Stamens Connate (united)
  • Filaments or anthers NOT united
Inflorescence Type (How the flowers are arranged on the plant)
  • Catkin (ament, cone)

Carpel Separation
  • Carpels united (or one)
Number of Carpels
  • 0 (male flowers only or plants producing spores)
  • 2 carpels
  • 3 carpels
  • 4 carpels
Ovary Position
  • Superior (hypogynous)
Fruit Type
  • Capsule, 2-celled
  • Capsule, 3-celled
  • Capsule, > 3-celled
Fruit Length at Maturity
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
  • 5 mm (.20 inch)
Fruit Width at Maturity
  • 1 mm (.04 inch) or less
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
Burs
  • Fruit or seed NOT bur-like

Leaf Arrangement
  • Alternate
Leaf Type
  • Simple (including lobed leaves)
Stipules
  • Lacking
Tendrils
  • Tendrils absent
Venation
  • Palmate
Petiole (leaf stem) Blade Ratio
  • Petiole 25% - 75% total length
Leaf Length (blade PLUS petiole)
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.60 inches)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.60 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
Leaf Width
  • 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.6 inches)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.6 - 4.0 inches)
Leaf Shape (simple leaves only)
  • Palmately 3 lobed
  • Palmately 4 - 5 lobed
Leaf or Leaflet Margin
  • Dentate
  • Lobed
  • Undulate (sinuate, repand)
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Base
  • Acute (cuneate)
  • Cordate
  • Rounded
Leaf or Leaflet Tip
  • Rounded (obtuse)
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Surface
  • Canescent
  • Glabrous (NO hairs)
  • Lower leaf surface more hairy
  • Tomentose
Succulence
  • Not succulent

Milky Juice
  • Juice NOT milky (watery)
Woodiness
  • Woody
Spines or Thorns
  • Spines or Thorns ABSENT
Aromatic (vegetative structures)
  • Not aromatic
  • Aromatic
Life Cycle
  • Perennial
Growth Habit (while flowering)
  • Erect, spherical (bushy)
Plant Height at Maturity
  • more than 5.0 meters (16.6 33 feet)
Wind Dissemination
  • Fruit, seed, or spore wind borne
Moisture Regime
  • Seasonally saturated
  • Mesic
Chlorophyll
  • Present

Stem Cross Section
  • Round
Flowering Stem Leaves
  • Stem uniformly leafy
Main Stem Branches
  • Main stem branched

Root or Vegetative Propagule
  • Tap Root

US State
  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Massachusetts
  • Maine
  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • Mississippi
  • North Carolina
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • West Virginia
  • Indiana
  • Maryland
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Iowa
  • Idaho
  • Minnesota
  • Montana
  • North Dakota
  • New Mexico
  • Nevada
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
  • Nebraska
Other
  • District of Columbia
Canadian Province or Territory
  • New Brunswick
  • Nova Scotia
  • Ontario
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Quebec
  • Alberta
  • Manitoba
  • Newfoundland

  • Weeds of California and other Western States, 2007 (ISBN 13: 978-1-879906-69-3) See Page: 1450
  • Listed as a `Weed` by the Biota of North America Program, 2008 x
  • Listed in the WSSA Composite List of Weeds X
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