Populus section Aegiros is a section of three species in the genus Populus, the poplars. Commonly known as cottonwood, it contains three species native to North America, Europe and western Asia.
They are large deciduous trees 20-45 m tall, distinguished by thick, deeply fissured bark, and triangular-based to diamond-shaped leaves, green on both sides (without the whitish wax on the undersides of balsam poplar leaves), and without any obvious bals...
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Populus section Aegiros is a section of three species in the genus Populus, the poplars. Commonly known as cottonwood, it contains three species native to North America, Europe and western Asia.
They are large deciduous trees 20-45 m tall, distinguished by thick, deeply fissured bark, and triangular-based to diamond-shaped leaves, green on both sides (without the whitish wax on the undersides of balsam poplar leaves), and without any obvious balsam scent in spring. An important feature of the leaves is the petiole which is flattened sideways, so that the leaves have a particular type of movement in the wind.
Male and female flowers are in separate catkins, appearing before the leaves in spring. The seeds are borne on cottony structures which allow them to be blown long distances in the air before settling to ground.
The cottonwoods are exceptionally tolerant of flooding, erosion and flood deposits filling around the trunk.
In the past up to five or six species were accepted, but...
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