Populus trichocarpa

Populus trichocarpa, or black cottonwood, is a fast-growing poplar native to western North America. Its sequenced genome made it a major model organism for studying tree biology.

Populus: Populus is a genus of deciduous trees that includes poplars, aspens, and cottonwoods. Black cottonwood is one of the genus’s largest and most extensively studied species.
Populus trichocarpa genome: The Populus trichocarpa genome is the reference nuclear genome sequence of black cottonwood. Its publication established this tree as a genomic model for woody plants.
Secondary growth: Secondary growth is the increase in plant stem and root thickness through lateral meristems. It produces the expanding woody stems characteristic of mature black cottonwood.
Tuskan et al. 2006: Tuskan et al. 2006 is the paper reporting the first genome sequence of a forest tree, Populus trichocarpa. This study established the species as a reference for tree genomics.
Plant model organism: A plant model organism is a species used extensively to investigate biological processes relevant to plants. Black cottonwood extends model-organism research from herbaceous plants to long-lived trees.
Salicaceae: Salicaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes willows and poplars. This family places black cottonwood among its close relatives, including willows.
Plant genomics: Plant genomics studies the structure, function, evolution, and variation of plant genomes. Black cottonwood provides a tree-genome reference for comparative and functional studies.
Vascular cambium: The vascular cambium is a lateral meristem that produces secondary xylem and phloem. Its activity generates much of the wood and inner bark in black cottonwood.
Nisqually-1: Nisqually-1 is the Populus trichocarpa genotype used for the reference genome sequence. Its genome supplies the widely used reference assembly for the species.
Arabidopsis thaliana: Arabidopsis thaliana is a small flowering plant widely used as a model in plant biology. Unlike this herbaceous model, black cottonwood supports studies of woody growth and perennial life.

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