New York Metropolitan Flora

Common Names

Big-Tooth Aspen, Large-Tooth Aspen, Canadian Poplar, Popple, American Aspen, Large Poplar, White Poplar

Field Identification

Tree with alternate, simple leaves.

Food uses

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for reference and historical use. We do not recommend nor do we condone the use of this species for food purposes without first consulting a physician.

The Ojiba tribe scraped the cambium, then it was boiled and eaten someting like eggs. Moerman, 1998

Medicinal uses

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for reference and historical use. We do not recommend nor do we condone the use of this species for medicinal purposes without first consulting a physician.

Used by Native Americans for itchy skin, stimulating appetite, and to prevent childbearing. Moerman, 1998

Other uses

Pulp for books, newsprint and fine printing papers. Fiberboard, wafer board, sheathing, decking, decorative applications, boxes, crates, pallets, furniture parts, lumber core, veneer, match sticks, tongue depressors, paneling, excelsior.

Bigtooth aspen wood is light colored, straight grained, finely textured, and soft. It is primarily used for pulp, but is also used to make particle board and structural panels. Minor uses include log homes, pallets, boxes, match splints, chopsticks, hockey stick components, and ladders. Bigtooth aspen bark is pelletized for fuel and supplemental cattle feed. (Carey, 1994)

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Nomenclature

Populus grandidentata Michx., Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 243. 1803.

Populus grandidentata f. septentrionalis Tidestr. Rhodora 16: 205. f. 1, 2. 1914.

Populus grandidentata f. meridionalis Tidestr. Rhodora 16: 205. f. 3, 4. 1914.

Populus grandidentata var. angustata Vict., Contr. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montreal no. 16: 14, fig. 4. 1930.

Populus grandidentata var. subcordata Vict., Contr. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montreal no. 16: 16, fig. 4. 1930.

TYPE: unknown

Description

HABIT Perennial, deciduous, phanerophytic, tree, diclinous and dioecious, 10-30 m tall and diameter at breast height of up to .6 m. Average life span 40-45 years (Fowells, 1965), but individuals may live as long as 100 years (Carey, 1994).

STEMS Main stems erect, round. Bark smooth and gray-green when young, becoming furrowed and gray when older, not exfoliating. Branches erect or ascending. Twigs dark brown to brownish-red to gray, not odoriferous, terete, 3-6 mm in diam., glabrescent, eglandular. Youngest twigs sparsely to densely pubescent with short and unbranched appressed, white or light gray hairs; older twigs glabrous. Pith brown, 5-pointed, continuous, nodal diaphragm absent. Sap translucent. For a synopsis of the root system see Stettler et al, 1996. Roots able to form ectomycorrhizal associations. (Vozzo & Hacskaylo, 1974).

BUDS Terminal and axillary present, monomorphic, scattered along stem; terminal bud ovoid, pointed; axillary buds 1 per axil, ovoid, pointed. Bud scales dark brown to dark reddish-brown to brown, imbricate, with short and unbranched, appressed, white or light gray hairs, sparse to moderately dense, distrubted throughout, eglandular. Bud scale scars not encircling the stem. Leaf scars crescent-shaped. Vascular bundle scars 3, crescent-shaped.

LEAVES Alternate, simple, spiral, 1 per node, spaced somewhat evenly along and divergent from stem. Stipules leaf-like about 5 mm long and secrete resin (Curtis & Lersten, 1978), lateral, caducous, free from the petiole. Leaves petiolate, petiole flattened (laterally compressed petiole which allows for the quaking is hypothesized to make it difficult for insect herbivores to land on and cling to (Curtis & Lersten, 1978)), 2-8 cm long, glabrous or with short and unbranched appressed hairs, sparse to dense (hairier on younger shoots and saplings), distributed throughout, glabrescent, eglandular. Leaf blades heterophyllous: abaxial surface light green, adaxial surface green, elliptic or ovate or widely elliptic or widely ovate or sub-orbicular, bilaterally symmetric, 5-13 cm long, 3-11 cm wide, chartaceous, base cuneate or truncate, apex acute. Leaves of seedlings and saplings and late leaves (leaves that are initiated and reach maturity during the current growing season) with an abaxial surface of short and unbranched appressed, sparse to dense, white or light gray hairs, distributed throughout and with serrate, small-toothed margins and occasional sub-cordate bases ( = Populus grandidentata f. septentrionalis Tidestr.? see Tidestrom, 1914. Leaves of mature trees and early leaves (leaves initiated the previous year which over winter in buds and complete their development the next spring) with the abaxial surface glabrous and dentate with fewer and larger teeth along the margins. For more on heterophylly, including changes in tooth-tipped resin secreting glands, basilaminar sugar-water secreting nectaries (1-12 [less on early leaves], 1-4 mm in diameter) and trichome density see Curtis & Lersten, 1978. For an overview of the secondary tissues see Stettler et al, 1996.

FEMALE INFLORESCENCES Unisexual, axillary raceme, precocious, formed on last season's growth, initially red-tan colored, 4-14 cm long (lengthening in fruit and turning green), pendant; catkin-like. Rachis with white-gray hairs. Bracts 1, subtending each flower, petiolate, adnate to pedicel, apices erose and ciliate, lateral surfaces glabrous or with short and unbranched hairs, eglandular. Pedicels 0.5-1.5 mm long, with short and unbranched spreading, white or light gray hairs, moderately dense, distributed throughout, not glabrescent, eglandular. Rarely hermaphroditic. (Santamour, 1956)

FEMALE FLOWERS Perianth parts indistinguishable from one another, fragrance absent. Gynoecium set on perianth which is a persistent infundibuliform disk composed of connate tepals (perigon); abaxial and adaxial surfaces light green, slightly hairy. Carpels 2. Locules 1. Stigmas 2, lobed, (bifid-appearing as 4). Styles 1. Ovary superior, ovoid, with short and unbranched hairs, eglandular. Placentation parietal. For a review of the floral micro-anatomy and vascularization see Fisher, 1928.

MALE INFLORESCENCES Unisexual, axillary raceme, precocious, formed on last season's growth, red-tan colored, 4-8 cm long, pendant; catkin-like. Rachis moderately covered with short gray-white hairs. Bracts 1, subtending each flower, petiolate, adnate to pedicel, brown, apices erose and ciliate; lateral surfaces glabrous, eglandular. Pedicels glabrous, eglandular. Rarely hermaphroditic. (Santamour, 1956) 

MALE FLOWERS Perianth parts indistinguishable from one another, fragrance absent. Androecium set on persistent perianth which is an infundibuliform disk composed of connate tepals (perigon). Stamens exserted, 5-25 per flower. Anthers glabrous, eglandular, maroon-purple, dehisce longitudinal. Filaments free, straight, white, glabrous, eglandular. Gynoecium absent. For a review of the floral micro-anatomy and vascularization see Fisher, 1928

FRUITS Loculicidal 2-valved capsule, green, ovoid, 5-6 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, glabrous, eglandular.

SEEDS Seeds many, brown, 0.5 mm long, glabrous, eglandular; adnate tufts of longer "cotton" (which facilitate anemochory) composed of epidermal hairs of the placenta; endosperm completely consumed by developing embryo so that none remains in the mature seed (Nagaraj, 1952).

Habitat

A pioneer species on disturbed sites, extreme shade intolerance; a codominant tree in both hardwood and conifer forests, bigtooth aspen most commonly occurs on floodplains, gently rolling terrain, and the lower slopes of uplands. Large stands grow on sands, loamy sands, and light sandy loams. However, minor amounts of bigtooth aspen are found growing on almost any type of soil. Has a lower soil pH limit of 4.0; tolerates drier conditions than quaking aspen. It has been classified as a subxeric species. However, for good growth on upland sites the water table must be at least 2 feet (0.6 m), but not more than 5 feet (1.5 m), below the ground surface. The soil must be moist but well aerated for good growth. (Carey, 1994)

Distribution

Indigenous to northeastern North America.

United States -- CT, DE, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND?, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV

Canada -- MB, NB, NS, ON, PE, QC

New York Metropolitan Region -- Native, found throughout the metropolitan area.

Rarity Status

Global Heritage Rank -- G5

Connecticut -- Not Listed

New Jersey -- Not Listed

New York -- Not Listed

Species Biology

Flowering

(March [week 1]) April - May

 

Pollination

Anemophily

 

Fruiting

April [week 4] - May

Good crops every 4-5 years with light seed crops during most of the intervening years. (Fowells, 1965)

 

Dispersal

Anemochory and Hydrochory (Fowells, 1965)

 

Germination

It is difficult to define germination with the small seeds of Populus species; for most species; germinated seedlings should have well-developed hypocotyl hairs, regular growth, and a geotropic response. Seeds that have been dried for storage may suffer injury from rapid imbibition; aeration with humid air after storage has been used to solve this problem. The critical factor for germination is moisture. (Young & Young, 1992)

The time of ripening is quite variable; a safe criterion for time of fruit collection is when a small percentage of the capsules are beginning to open. Pre-strorage drying immediately after collecting is essential for successful storage. A moisture content of 5-8% improves viability and germination of stored seed. After air drying for 4 days store in a sealed container at 41d F. The critical factor for germination is moisture. (Dirr & Heuser, 1987)

Not dependent on light, and with sufficient moisture germination will take place between 0-35dC; optimum in media of pH 7-8.5; temp. 29-32dC. Most seeds lose viability after 18 weeks. They will even germinate when submerged in water (Faust, 1936).

Long term viability can be maintained with temperatures below freezing in a dry atmosphere. (Stettler et al, 1996).

For a propagation protocol for bareroot bigtooth aspen using seeds see Day, 2003.

 

Also regenerates readily from roots suckers and stump sprouts. (Fowells, 1965)

 

Hybridizes with P. tremuloides (=P. x smithii) (Stettler et al, 1996).