THE POPLA.R AND THE WILLOW. 105 



flowers not only developed from different buds, but 

 the two sets of buds are confined to Different 

 trees ! In a word, to adopt the technical language 

 of the schools, poplars and willows are " dioecious," 

 while all other trees that bear catkins, or those 

 at least which belong to the Amentiferae, are 

 " monoecious." These terms were contrived by 

 Linnaeus in that happy spirit of poetry which gives 

 force and feeling to all true science, the idea 

 conveyed in them being that trees are houses, the 

 inhabitants of which, like human beings, are male 

 and female, the monoecious kinds answering to 

 households such as contain representatives of both 

 sexes, while the dioecious kinds are noted for their 

 inhabitants being respectively of only one sex. 

 There are plenty of herbaceous plants which illus. 

 trate the same economy, especially in the class de- 

 nominated " sedges," and of these also there are 

 examples both of the monoecious and of the 

 dioecious structure. Some botanists are inclined 

 to consider these plants, poplars, willows, sedges, 

 and the like, of higher position in the scale of nature 

 than such as are bisexual, or formed like the 

 apple and rose. If resemblance to the animal 

 economy in respect of sex be paramount, of course 

 there can be no demur ; but resemblance to animal 

 powers and functions exists in plants under so many 

 different aspects, and is often so rich and startling, 

 that no particular resemblance can be selected 



