SPECIES:  Populus tremuloides

Introductory
SPECIES: Populus tremuloides



photo by Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences



AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Howard, Janet L. 1996. Populus tremuloides. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 
Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). 
Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/ [].




ABBREVIATION : 
POPTRE

SYNONYMS : 
   Populus tremuloides var. aurea Tidestr. [91]
   P. tremuloides var. magnifica Vict.
   P. tremuloides var. pendula Jaeger & Bessner
   P. tremuloides var. reniformis Tidestr. [150]


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   POTR10


COMMON NAMES : 
   quaking aspen
   trembling aspen
   aspen


TAXONOMY : 
The scientific name of quaking aspen is Populus tremuloides Michx.
(Salicaceae) [60,64,75,78,82,79,165,166].  There are no currently
recognized subspecies or varieties [64,75,78,100,136,165,166].  Roland
and Smith [136] recognize a form with extremely broad leaves, P.
tremuloides forma reniformis Tidestr., that occurs in northeastern North
America.

Quaking aspen is in subsection Trepidae of the genus Populus.  Some
authorities consider the Trepidae aspens a single taxonomic entity.
Under this treatment, quaking aspen, bigtooth aspen (P. grandidentata),
European aspen (P. tremula), and three aspens occurring in Asia are
classed together as a single, circumglobal superspecies [126].

Quaking aspen hybridizes naturally with bigtooth aspen and white poplar
(P. alba), a naturalized European species.  Hybrid quaking
aspen-bigtooth aspen swarms occur in the Niobrara River valley of
Wyoming and Nebraska [64], and quaking aspen-bigtooth aspen hybrids are
common in some eastern locales [73].  Black cottonwood (P. trichocarpa)- 
quaking aspen hybrids occur rarely in Alaska [82].

Quaking aspen has been crossed with several Populus species,
particularly the Eurasian species gray poplar (P. canescens), European
aspen, and white poplar, in tree breeding programs [88].


LIFE FORM : 
Tree

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 
NO-ENTRY

Complete FEIS review for Populus tremuloides

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