Editing Populus alba (section)

== Description ==
It is a medium-sized [[deciduous]] [[tree]], growing to heights of up to {{cvt|15|–|30|m}} (rarely more), with a trunk up to {{convert|2|m|ft|abbr=on}} in diameter and a broad, rounded crown. The [[Bark (botany)|bark]] is smooth and greenish-white to greyish-white with characteristic diamond-shaped dark marks on young trees, becoming blackish and fissured at the base of old trees. The young shoots are covered with whitish-grey down, including the small buds. The [[leaf|leaves]] are {{convert|4|–|15|cm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}} long, five-lobed, with a thick covering of white scurfy down on both sides, but thicker underneath; this layer wears off {{convert|8|cm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}} long, produced in early spring; they are [[plant sexuality|dioecious]], with male and female catkins on separate trees; the male catkins are grey with conspicuous dark red stamens, the female catkins are greyish-green. The female catkins lengthen to {{convert|8|–|10|cm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}} after pollination, with several green seed capsules, maturing in late spring to early summer. It also propagates by means of [[Basal shoot|root suckers]] growing from the lateral roots, often as far as {{convert|20|–|30|m|ft|round=5|abbr=on}} from the trunk, to form extensive [[clonal colony|clonal colonies]].<ref name=rushforth /><ref name=fnwe>Flora of NW Europe: [http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=2198 ''Populus alba''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100827110425/http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=2198 |date=2010-08-27 }}</ref>
{{multiple image
 | align     = left
 | direction = horizontal
 | header_align = center
 | header    = Distinguishing features of the white poplar
 | image1    = Populus alba branch.jpg
 | alt1      = 
 | caption1  = Foliage of the white poplar
 | image2    = Populus alba leaf.jpg
 | alt2      = 
 | caption2  = White poplar leaves; underside left, upper side right
 | image3    = Populus alba trunk.jpg
 | alt3      = 
 | caption3  = Trunk, showing the characteristic diamond-shaped marks
 }}
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