The tree is native to the Middle East, southern Russia, the Subcontinent and east to China. In Pakistan it is found in hot arid areas along rivers courses or where there is sub-surface water.

The heartwood is distinct from softwood. The sapwood is white, the heartwood grayish-brown, without characteristic odor or taste. The grain is straight to more or less irregular interlocked, fine and somewhat even-textured.

The growth rings are distinct with naked eye, 2-5/ inch wide. The wood is ring-porous. The vessels small to very small, occasionally solitary, or in gropu of 2-4 cells,30-75/mm2 in number, 135-150µ in diameter. The parenchyma is paratracheal, metatrachea and terminal. The paratracheal parenchyma is very sparse, confined to occasional cells. The metatracheal parenchyma is extremely sparse scattered among the fibers. Terminal parenchyma forming a uniseriate line which is not sufficiently distinct to delineate the growth rings. The rays are very fine,9-12/mm in cross section,homogeneous, 23-27µ wide(1-2 cells), 15-350µ(3-30 cells) in height. The fibers are non-libriform, non-gelatinous, non-septate,0.55-1.6 mm long,27-30µ wide with 3-4µ wall-thickness.

Cross view of Poplar wood Tangential view of Poplar wood Wood Fibers of Poplar

The wood of Bhan is used in furniture, carts, wooden wheels, turnery articles, for bobbin in textile industry, packing cases and crates, matches, plywood and pulp.

1. Pearson, R.S and H.P. Brown.1932. Commercial Timbers of India.pp.1007-1009.
2. Sheikh, M.I.1993. Trees of Pakistan. Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar.pp-104.
3. Siddiqui, K.M., M. Ayaz and I. Mahmood.1996. Properties and Uses of Pakistani Timbers. Pakistan Forest Institute, Peshawar. pp 69-70.