ID of the species of the birch and poplar?

[Kveldssanger]

I came across these two species last week, and am having trouble identifying them. I am unsure whether I have over-thought the birch one, as the underside of the leaf has the black 'glands' that the paper-bark birch is known for having. The stem is also slightly downy.

 

Betula papyrifera? - Imgur

 

The poplar has the bark of an aspen and the leaf shape of a hybrid black. No idea what it is! Also very columnar with a (near) perfectly straight trunk.

 

Populus spp. - Imgur

 

Thanks, guys.

[daltontrees]

I came across these two species last week, and am having trouble identifying them. I am unsure whether I have over-thought the birch one, as the underside of the leaf has the black 'glands' that the paper-bark birch is known for having. The stem is also slightly downy.

 

Betula papyrifera? - Imgur

 

 

I think the Birch is Betula pubescens. papyrifera has warty shoots, yours look largely wart-free and slightly downy. Your catkins are far too short for papyrifera. I can't explain the black glands, I have never noticed or not noticed (!) them on pubescens before and I don't know if they are unique to papyrifera.

[Paul Cleaver]

the pops are a hybrid black but going any further than that is difficult with these

[daltontrees]

The poplar has the bark of an aspen and the leaf shape of a hybrid black. No idea what it is! Also very columnar with a (near) perfectly straight trunk.

 

Populus spp. - Imgur

 

Thanks, guys.

 

I am leaning towards P. canescens. But it is a hybrid between alba and tremula and all sorts of variations seem to crop up.

[daltontrees]

the pops are a hybrid black but going any further than that is difficult with these

 

Yep, there are few things in life as futile as trying to identify Poplars.

[Paul Cleaver]

I am leaning towards P. canescens. But it is a hybrid between alba and tremula and all sorts of variations seem to crop up.

 

with out diving for a book -are canescens excurrent ?

[Kveldssanger]

It could well be a Betula pubescens - it was the glands that threw me, and the leaf shape seemed slightly different to what I would expect on a B. pubescens.

 

As for the poplar - I really haven't a clue how many varieties of grey poplar there are, though the leaf shape is surely too different to what would be anticipated for it to be of this species? Maybe it's a Populus x canadensis var. serotina, as that leaf is pretty similar - just a thought, if it is a grey?

[Kveldssanger]

Oops, I meant hybrid black at the end there, not grey.

[daltontrees]

. The photos didn't show a whole tree and I was unable to tick the 'form' box. I went on bark and 2 soggy dead leaves showing lighter undersides and no excessive flattening of petiole. Plus shape of leaf, although it isn't convincing. Hence the hybrid comment, Poplars are dirty stop-outs that don't care who they canoodle with. Even this argument isn't convincing since sexual reproduction within the whole genus, and especially towards the tremula species is rare.

[Paul Cleaver]

. The photos didn't show a whole tree and I was unable to tick the 'form' box. I went on bark and 2 soggy dead leaves showing lighter undersides and no excessive flattening of petiole. Plus shape of leaf, although it isn't convincing. Hence the hybrid comment, Poplars are dirty stop-outs that don't care who they canoodle with. Even this argument isn't convincing since sexual reproduction within the whole genus, and especially towards the tremula species is rare.

 

yeh overlooked the lighter leaf undersides - its a tricky one