**133/J-Tree Talk-White POPLAR.

This tree can be at once distinguished by its leaves, which have a thick coating of white  down on the underside while their upper surfaces are very dark glossy green.  They vary considerably in shape & are sometimes roughly triangular & sometimes  five-sided.  The margins are uneven but have no teeth.  In winter the twigs & the  small twigs & small buds are also coated with the white down, which might easily be mistaken for a form of blight.  The tree reaches a larger  size than the black poplar & the bark of old trees is very rugged.   In young trees the bark is often   marked with smooth black & white speckled patches.  The white poplar was well known to the ancients  & was consecrated to Hercules according to Greek mythology.