Populus alba L.

Tree to c. 25 m high, usually spreading, suckering profusely. Bark grey, rather smooth to shallowly fissured. Shoots white-tomentose, terete. Buds white, with appressed tomentum, not viscid. Young lvs not aromatic. Petiole 1.5–5 cm long, white-tomentose, slightly compressed. Lamina on vegetative shoots 3–10 × 2–9.5 cm, ± deltoid, with 3–5 lobulate or toothed primary lobes; lamina on adult shoots smaller, ovate, ovate-oblong or suborbicular, lobed or strongly toothed, always white, loosely tomentose below and at first above, later glabrous or nearly so on upper surface, green and shining; margin lacking translucent band; base truncate, rounded or subcordate, glandless; apex obtuse or rounded. Catkins ♀, ± pendent, 2–8 cm long at anthesis. Rachis villous. Bracts 3–3.5 mm long, membranous, shining, brown in upper part, incised to shallowly toothed, prominently long-ciliate. Cup-shaped disc 0.5–0.8 mm deep, glabrous or somewhat villous; margin slightly sinuate. Ovary glabrous; stigmas slender, whitish. Capsule containing dense, white, cottony hairs, especially towards base.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Sep.